LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



DAY DAWNING: 



OR, 



REASON AND RELIGION RECONCILED. 



AND 



THE WAY OF HAPPINESS MADE PLAIN, 



/ 

BY WILLIAM GARRISON SKILLMAN. 




All rights reserved. 




PHILADELPHIA: 



HARPER & BROTHER, PUBLISHERS, 

ii6 AND ii8 South Fourth St. 

1878. 



->%' 



Copyright, 

William Garrison Skillman. 

1878. 



WITH THE HOPE THAT, IN SOME DEGREE, IT MAY AID 

HUMANITY IN ITS PROGRESS FROM GOOD 

TO BETTER, THIS BOOK IS 

DEDICATED TO 

BY THE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS. 



I "Let THERE BE Light." 7 

II Whence are we ? 9 

III Why are we ? and Why are we as we are ? 15 

IV The Cause or Occasion of Evil 20 

V "God is Charity." 31 

VI Miracles, or the Supernatural 44 

VII Christ as a Saviour 55 

VIII Who shall be Saved ? 69 

IX The Holy Trinity 75 

X What are we to be? 119 

XI Signs of the Times 137 

XII The " Old " and the " New." 148 

XIII Motives to Action under the " New." 163 

XIV Money 171 

XV No Division of Interests Satisfactory 181 

XVI Mammon, the Great Antichrist 184 

XVII Evils Remedied under the " New." 189 

XVIII Natural Rights 206 

XIX Selfishness not Insurmountable 211 

XX Written Laws still Necessary 219 

XXI Humane Force Justifiable 226 

XXII The Social Palace 232 

XXIII Present Necessities and Duties 245 

XXIV The New Jerusalem 250 

5 



DAY DAWNING. 



"LET THERE BE LIGHT." 

^ I ^HERE is nothing hid which shall not be manifested ; 
j^ neither was anything kept secret, but that it should 
come abroad/' 

'''What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light ; and 
what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops." — 
Jesus of Nazareth, 

*' The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now com- 
mandeth all men everywhere to repent." — Paul at Mars' HilL 

On the initial page of sacred history it is written that '^ In the 
beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth 
was without form, and void ; and darkness was upon the face of 
the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the 
waters. And God said. Let there be light. " 

As illumination was desired or demanded then, in order that 
darkness might be dispelled, so in all the ages since, the cry of 
living things has been. Let there be light. The little germ in 
the grain of corn is quite inactive in the light ; it seems for the 
time, satisfied with its bright surroundings ; but, buried in the 
darkness of the earth, its latent energies are soon aroused ; it 
struggles in its efforts to reach the light and, having found it, 



8 DAY DA WNING, 

appears to rejoice in the re-possession of the coveted brightness; 
and, as if to atone for its previous inactivity, it puts forth the 
blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. So important 
is light to all life that the centre orb of our solar system — the 
sun — is constituted a splendid luminary, warming and vivifying 
all things within the reach of its influence. 

As, in the world of matter, light is, therefore, quite indispen- 
sable j so, in the world of mind, illumination is not less impor- 
tant ; and these pages are written with the hope of assisting, if 
possible, those under whose notice they may come, in trimming 
up and making radiant those lights of the past and present that 
have either been suffered to grow dim, or are quite gone out. 

There is a theory, however, which, if correct, would render 
all efforts at mental illumination, or anything else, quite unne- 
cessary, and indeed a folly ; namely, the theory of the Non-exis- 
tence of Matter. According to it, light and all things else are only 
illusions and impressions, which appear to be, but in reality are 
not. If we could be convinced that this theory were correct, 
we should of course stop right here and now, and not attempt to 
proceed one step further, for, add naught to naught and naught 
is the inevitable result. But even an illusion or appearance is a 
so7nething ; it cannot be said to be nothings fleeting though it may 
be. Now it is just as reasonable that there should be substantial 
things, as that there should be unsubstantial ones. The very 
moment that the existence of even an illusion is acknowledged, 
the idea of absolute Nothingness or Non-existence is certainly 
precluded. Apparently, the advocates of this theory, finding 
themselves unable to comprehend the Infinite, have determined, 
in their own minds, that there is nothing either Infinite or fi- 
nite. The argument in favor of the real existence of matter is at 
least reasonable ; while the attempt of that which claims to have 
no existence at all to prove its own alleged non-existence, in- 
volves a manifest absurdity. Silence on the subject would seem 
to be more becoming than words on the part of those who enter- 
tain such a theory. 



II. 

WHENCE ARE WE? 

WE can, we think, safely assume that we are^ and shall pro- 
ceed in these pages on the basis of that assumption. If 
then we are^ the questions naturally arise, Whence are we ? Why 
are we? Why are we as we are? and What are we to be? The 
evidence is unmistakable that we are born into this world, and 
that wonderful provision has been made for the preservation of 
our lives and the promotion of our happiness. Now, as our 
earthly parents have watched over and tenderly cared for us dur- 
ing the years of our infancy, when we were very helpless and 
dependent, the inference is certainly reasonable that a Great 
Father — one greater than all earthly fathers — has created, watches 
over, and protects all. But one may say, ** I can see my earthly 
father \ but, unless you can show me what you call the Great 
Father, how am I to know that he exists ? " 

We reply, that you do not see your earthly father ; you see 
only the body in which the soul or the real man resides. You 
do not see even all the body ; you see only the external parts of 
it, while the internal parts, ^* fearfully and wonderfully made,'^ 
are hidden from view. Even so it is with our Great Father and 
the universe in which he resides. You see the external parts of 
that in which he moves, and of which he is the light and life; but 
you do not see Him. Figuratively speaking, you can scarce pene- 
trate the cuticle of the globe on which you live ; its greatest 
depths are utterly unknown. You can traverse its surface round 
and round, and float in its atmosphere ; but whether its centre is 
a molten mass, an empty space, or a solid body, no man can 
positively prove. We see its surface portions only; the larger 
part of it is all unseen. On a clear night we look abroad and see 



lO DA V DA WNING. 

countless stars, which to our vision seem only like so many lamps 
hung in the heavens, but which, by the aid of science, we know 
to be great spheres, many of them immensely larger than the 
globe on which we live, yet how little do we know of them at the 
most. If then, we can know so little of the Great Seen and still 
have faith in its existence as an immense reality, why doubt the 
existence of the Great Unseen — why doubt the existence of an 
Infinite and Supreme Intelligence ? The inference seems at 
least reasonable that what our souls are to our bodies, the Spirit 
of the Great Father is to the universe of matter. Our bodies may 
be changed or destroyed, and our souls still be unaffected; won- 
derful changes may and do take place in the universe, and still God, 
the Spirit, is eternally the unchanged and unchangeable One. 

" But,'' it may be asked, '' how do I know, reasoning from 
analogy, that what you call the Great Unseen has any existence 
at all ? There is in the form of a man a fair presumption that, 
what you call the real man exists ; how am I to know, by this 
method of reasoning, that what you call God, or the Great 
Father, exists?'' 

Answering, we admit that the analogy is incomplete with 
respect to form, and must be so from the very nature of the case. 
Man is finite ; God is infinite, and although if God could be 
embodied as we are he would doubtless take the form of a man, 
yet his nature as the Infinite Being precludes the possibility of 
his appearing to us in bodily form only. It is evident that if he 
were so to appear, he would still be present everywhere else, and 
so, in his infinitude, be incapable of being seen by finite vision. 
Air cannot be seen by the eye, and yet mainly through the 
medium of two of our other senses, viz : hearing and feeling, we 
are made aware of its presence. -^ The wind bloweth where it 
listeth ; we hear the sound thereof, yet know not whence it 
cometh, or whither it goeth." We say the air is hot, or cold, 
or pleasant, as the case may be ; now it comes to us freighted 
with the fragrance of flowers ; and now it is laden with unpleas- 
ant odors ; at one time it vitalizes the blood and quickens all the 



WHENCE ARE WE? 11 

springs of life ; at another, the deadly malaria is its destructive 
companion ; and yet in all its conditions it is ever unseen. 
Steam and electricity are both invisible, and yet what powerful 
agents they are ! The movements of the latter, in particular, fre- 
quently excite wonder and alarm ; indeed how cold and almost 
insensible, are almost, if not all, the things we see in comparison 
with those powerful and subtile forces which belong to the invisi- 
ble world. Besides, the visible and tangible are subject to con- 
stant mutations ; now existing in one form or condition, and 
now in another; how eminently important, therefore, it is that 
the eternal and unchangeable God should, in his vitality, be in- 
visible. The fact that He does not appear now here and now 
there in bodily form, instead of weakening, should rather 
strengthen our faith in Him as the unchanged and unchangeable 
One. The apostle Paul concisely, but we believe truly, says : 
'' The things which are seen are temporal^ but the things which 
are not seen are eternaL ' ' Let all doubts, therefore, be removed, 
and let us not only believe that God is ^ but also that he is the 
Author of all good, and that He will reward all those that dili- 
gently seek Him. Happily, the analogy between the unseen 
God and the invisible forces of his creation is not the only proof 
of his existence j although this we think ought to satisfy the most 
skeptical ; we have in nature manifold, nay, almost innumerable 
evidences of his handiwork : the theory that matter in its own 
inherent powers, and without the contrivance and direction of 
a Supreme Intelligence, evolves all the forms of life, and pro- 
duces the wonderful variety so generally displayed in nature, is 
one which certainly can find no favor in our experience or best 
convictions. On the contrary, the conviction is irresistible that 
they are the product of the Divine wisdom and goodness ; and 
in contemplating them we are led to exclaim with the poet : 

'* When all thy mercies, O my God, 
My rising soul surveys, 
Transported with the view I'm lost 
In wonder, love and praise." 



12 DA Y DA WNING, 

Not only does the earth produce in great abundance all the 
necessaries of life, but the amplest provision has been made for 
the production of things not absolutely required to sustain life. 
The whole world in which we live, as respects the works of God 
within it, may be said to be a Garden of Eden, that is, a garden 
of pleasure or delight. Our Great Father is supremely good not 
only in the ordinary gifts of His providence, but also in what 
may be termed the more delicate manifestations of His goodness. 
Who, that enjoys the pleasant fruits, the sight of flowers and their 
delightful fragrance, and the warbling of birds, can be otherwise 
than assured of the loving-kindness of our Great Father ? 

When the day's work is over, and we seek repose, how softly 
He closes our eyelids in peaceful slumber; and after the night's 
refreshing sleep, in which we are almost conscious of his watch- 
ful though silent presence, how gently, to our waking eyes. He 
breaks the morning light. Many, if not all, of the heavenly 
bodies that move in and through space, do so with a velocity 
fearful to contemplate ; our own earth, in its orbit round the sun, 
moving at the rate of about sixty-eight thousand miles per hour, 
or at the rate of about nineteen miles per second, and yet there is 
no collision among these mighty masses; nothing in their move- 
ments to disturb even a timid child ; indeed the perfect harmony 
of their movements was, by the ancients, poetically called the 
''music of the spheres,'' so unobtrusive is their passage, and im- 
perceptible their progress from moment to moment through space. 
But in nothing, we think, is the delicacy of the Divine goodness 
more manifest than in beautiful and fragrant flowers ; how ele- 
gantly and gracefully they are formed and fringed ; how exquisite 
the contrast and blending of their colors ; and how delightful 
their fragrance, which seems, as it were, the very breath of 
heaven. When we consider that these comparatively unimpor- 
tant things are the work of the Almighty hand, and, although 
existing in wonderful variety, contribute but little, if at all, to 
our maintenance, but are given us chiefly or only for our gratifi- 
cation, how firm ought our faith to be that He who so 



WHENCE ARE WE? 13 

kindly and profusely provides for our lesser^ will make abundant 
provision for our greater needs. 

But, it may be said, the manifestations of the Divine power 
are not always, in manner and form, so mild and gentle ; we 
have, at times, thunder and lightning, storm and tempest, ex- 
tremes of heat and cold, etc. It is true we occasionally have 
such phenomena, but they are the exceptions and not the rule ; 
and, when they do appear, they generally do an immense amount 
of good, and but little harm, and that only incidentally. The 
operations of nature are necessarily on a large scale, and when 
she is unusually demonstrative^ it is when, in a brief space of 
time, she has an unusually large amount of work to do. The 
sultry air is laden with pestilent vapors, whose quick removal is 
desirable, and the lightning and storm come, apparently to 
terrify the timid and make a display of power, but in reality to 
purify the air and neutralize its deleterious qualities. This kind 
of work is necessarily demonstrative, and sometimes hazardous^ 
and is, therefore, we believe, required to be performed quickly, 
in order that the damage, if any, may be as small as possible, 
and the fears created by it soon over. One life, by its power, 
may be suddenly taken away, while thousands are preserved from 
death through its benign influence. Besides, sudden death is 
generally, if not invariably, unattended with pain. As a rule the 
operations of nature are evidently well calculated to excite admi- 
ration and gratitude, and, as they are generally without sudden 
or startling incidents, they seldom excite fear. How musical, 
for example, is the sound of the wind through the trees, the fall- 
ing of the rain, and how almost noiseless the fall of the leaves and 
the beautiful snow ! Clearly the Divine gentleness is in all, over 
all, and through all. 

The works of our Great Father prove, as we have seen, that 
He is full of benevolence and love, and we believe that He cre- 
ated the world chiefly for the purpose of enjoying it with, and of 
imparting happiness to, offspring, who He desired should be, so 
far as the finite could resemble the Infinite, as nearly as possible 



14 £>A V DA WNING, 

like himself. We therefore gladly accept the following state- 
ment contained in the sacred writings as literally true, viz : that 
'^ God created man in His own image, in the image of God cre- 
ated He him j male and female created He them/' It will be 
observed that in this statement there is an apparent repetition ; 
but it will be seen that the words employed were all required in 
order that its meaning might not be rendered ambiguous or ob- 
scure by too great brevity of language. If the declaration had 
concluded with the words, '^God created man in His own 
image,'' it might have given rise to a question as to which of the 
two the words, ^'his own image," were intended to apply, there 
being two words, ^^God" and *'man," either one of which 
could have been taken as the antecedent. But as if to remove 
all doubts, and make the statement perfectly clear, it is added, 
that " In the image of God created He him." There are, it is 
said, among the followers of Mohammed, those who entertain 
the belief that women do not exist in a future state ; that, like 
the irrational creatures, they were only made for the convenience 
and happiness of man ; but the affirmation in our best of books 
is, that '^ In the image of God created He him ; male and female 
created He them ' ' ; thus placing woman on an equality with 
man. And doubtless both are required to make the likeness to 
the Divine original complete. Briefly, man may be said to repre- 
sent the power of God, and woman the love of God. If then 
we are in the image of God, how great are our privileges, and 
how grave are our responsibilities ! We should endeavor, as far 
as possible, to make ourselves acquainted with God our Father 
and his works ; to try to think as he thinks, to act as he acts, as 
far as the finite can act like the Infinite, and to endeavor to feel 
as he feels. Our relationship to Him implies the right or pos- 
session on our part of perfect freedom of action, for as he is free 
to act according to his own volition, so we are free to act accord- 
ing to ours. If this be not so, then we are not, in this respect 
at least, created in his image, but are mere automatons without 
responsibility — passive beings only, and not free-agents. Our 



WHY ARE WE ? E TC. 15 

Great Father would have us enjoy freedom^ and this could not 
be done if compulsory restraints or restrictions upon our freedom 
were constantly imposed. It is true there are monitors that are 
constantly reminding us of danger when we stray from the path 
of rectitude ; but these are kindly sent as warnings, not as 
masters over the will. The freedom of the will may, we think, 
be considered absolute. 

Having thus far considered the nature and character of God, 
and our relationship to Him, and having found, to our own satis- 
faction at least, that we are his offspring, for ourselves, satisfac- 
torily solving the question, " Whence are we? '* we shall now 
proceed to consider, as best we may, the questions, '^ Why are 
we? " and ^^ Why are we as we are ? " together with such other 
subjects as may be of interest in, or may properly belong to this 
discussion. 



III. 

WHY ARE WE? AND WHY ARE WE 
AS WE ARE? 

AS has already been observed, we believe our Great Father 
created this beautiful world of ours for the purpose of 
enjoying it with, and of imparting happiness to, offspring. This 
therefore is probably one of the best reasons that could be given 
as to why we are. Evidently, our existence would be undesira- 
ble if we could not derive rational enjoyment from it. The 
sacred writings inform us that the garden which the Lord God 
planted, and into which he put the man whom he had formed, 
was a Garden of Eden, that is, a garden of pleasure or delight, 
and that out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every 



16 DA V DA WNING. 

tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. *' But/* it 
may be asked, ** why is it that in a world so beautiful, and under 
the constant care of a Being so good, and with man created in 
the Divine image, there is evil in the world? Why is it that, 
notwithstanding the abundant evidences of the delicacy of the 
Divine goodness, man should still neglect, contend with, and 
even war against his fellow man ? ' ' We will give what we 
believe to be a correct answer to these questions. As has been 
stated, man was created in the Divine image ; he is therefore as 
free to exercise his own will, without direct restraint upon it, as 
God is free to exercise his without restraint ; and while it is true 
that man may be, and doubtless is, largely influenced by circum- 
stances surrounding him, and a variety of influences operating 
upon him, all more or less afl'ecting the determination of his will, 
yet are his volitions, we believe, always voluntary and never com- 
pelled ; he is free — so far as his will is concerned — absolutely 
free : 

'^ An oppressor may hold his body bound, 
Yet know not what a range his spirit takes 
Unconscious of a chain ^ 

Besides, the perfect freedom with which men perform not only 
good, but also evil deeds, would seem to prove their possession 
of an unfettered will, for surely if God could impose direct 
restraints upon man^s will, and still preserve man in His perfect 
image, He would do so in all cases where evil deeds would be 
attempted. The fact that He does not so operate upon man^s 
will when apparently He might, in this manner, obviate, and 
indeed prevent the existence of all evil, is one of the strongest 
proofs we can have, that the freedom of the will is complete and 
that it is indispensable to the happiness of an intelligent being. 
We know there are those who allege that things are as they are 
because God has purposed them to be so — that He does all things 
according to the good counsel of His own will, and that conse- 
quently whatever is is right — that '^his judgments are unsearcha- 
ble, and his ways past finding out"; and that therefore we 



WHY ARE WE ? ETC, 17 

should simply believe what has been revealed through the medium 
of the sacred writings, and trust God for the rest. Now, while 
we are free to admit that, as an instrumentality, the Scriptures 
are of inestimable value, and that there is much, very much, 
which finite beings, at present, cannot, and perhaps may never 
know, respecting the works of God, still we believe it is our 
privilege and our duty to avail ourselves of all the sources of 
knowledge within our reach or comprehension, particularly such 
as relate to our happiness and responsibilities. The Bible is 
unquestionably a lamp to our feet as we grope through the dark 
ways and places of this world ; but, valuable as it is, it does not. 
contain all that may profitably be known. While as a literary 
production, it can hardly be surpassed ; it reveals but little with 
respect to science or art. As a moral teacher, incomparable ; 
its pages still need the illumination of the Divine Spirit for their 
proper interpretation. The Book itself tells us to '^ try all things y 
and hold fast that which is good : *Mt says, ''Seek, and ye shall 
find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : '* it would have 
us come into the happy possession of the hid treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge from every useful source. As we have said, there 
is much that cannot now, and never may be known, by created 
beings. Who, for example, can comprehend Infinity ? By the 
utmost stretch of the imagination no human intellect can com- 
prehend the illimitable : nor is the infinitesimal hardly less 
inscrutable : minute as the smallest atom may be, it is still, 
theoretically, indefinitely divisible; the infinite and the infinitesi- 
nial are beyond our comprehension ; we simply know that we 
exist somewhere between the infinitesimal on the one hand, and 
t,he infinite on the other : nor can we conceive of time which 
never began, nor of duration which shall never end. We only 
know that we exist somewhere between the eternal past and the 
eternal future. But thank God we may know what is better 
than all this knowledge, — that He is our Great Father, and that 
wearer his children. Assuming then that it is our right and 
privilege to investigate, as far as possible, all subjects, we return 



18 DA V DA WNING, 

to the consideration of the question as to why it is that evil is 
allowed to exist in the v/orld. We have seen that the principal 
object our Great Father had in calling man into existence was 
that He might enjoy him, and make man's existence a state of 
rational enjoyment to man himself; we have also seen that to be 
complete in the Divine image man must be free. But how 
secure to man the greatest amount of happiness ? One might 
say, by God's conferring on man all the attributes, in their 
fullness or perfection, which God himself possesses. But, 
thus qualified or empowered, man would be an infinite being, 
and to our finite comprehension it would seem impossible that 
there could be more than one Infinite being, for it has been said, 
and we believe truly, that ^' the heaven and heaven of heavens 
cannot contain Him." Admitting, however, that God could at 
once create innumerable Beings, each one of them to correspond, 
in all things, precisely with himself, it is evident that such Beings 
could hardly sustain to Him the relationship of children ; they 
would be simply co-associates ; and all the endearments which 
arise out of the relationship of parent and child would seem to 
be impossible ; the co-associates being at once invested with 
plenary abilities or powers, could hardly realize any of the feel- 
ings or emotions incident to the dependence of childhood ; and 
the Great Father himself, instead of watching over all with the 
tenderest interest and solicitude, which is his great joy, having 
no occasion for the employment of his goodness, mercy and love, 
would under such circumstances, doubtless, regard the Universe 
as too monotonous for the tolerance even of an Infinite Being. 
The conclusion is therefore, we think, irresistible, that to be 
enjoyed by Him and to derive the greatest amount of happiness 
possible from their own existence, the children or offspring of 
God must be free, progressive beings, and be dependent upon 
Him. In this, as in all things else, whatever may be said con- 
cerning the evils that are in the world, the Divine goodness is 
abundantly manifest. As we have said, we exist somewhere 
between the infinitesimal on the one hand and the infinite on the 



WHY ARE WE ? ETC, 19 

other. Our natures commence with the former, and we develop 
by imperceptible degrees of growth in the direction of the latter. 
We thus have, as progressive beings, the largest scope possible 
for the enjoyment of progression. We speak of this progress or 
growth as operating in obedience to the requirements of what we 
call natural law ; but whether natural law is a principle which, 
being contrived and established by the Infinite and Divine In- 
telligence, develops, by its own inherent force, into certain 
intended results, or is simply a procession of infinitesimal, and 
therefore unobservable or undiscoverable miracles, we shall proba- 
bly, as finite beings, never know. It is enough for us to be 
assured that our Great Father is its Author, and that therefore 
we can place in its operations the most implicit trust. By natural 
law the existence of living things must necessarily commence 
with the infinitesimal, as otherwise life would evidently have to 
originate in each case through the medium of what we call the 
supernatural. Through the medium of natural development, we 
have infancy with its innocence, and all the loving attentions, 
and tender solicitudes, that cluster round it ; youth with its 
ardor, hope and promise ; middle age with its strength, action 
and affluence of enjoyments, and old age with its ripe experience, 
influence, hope and trust — a trust, amounting to an assurance, 
that the same Great Father, who has so abundantly blessed and 
protected it in all the years of its sojourn here, will provide for 
it still greater blessings in the world to come. Briefly, to be 
natural, and to enjoy his existence as a free-agent, man's 
existence must commence with the infinitesimal, and then 
progress through the various stages of development, by imper- 
ceptible degrees of growth. Indeed all other creatures, sensitive 
or insensitive, must commence and develop in the same manner 
also, to the fulfilment of their respective destinies; as only 
through this medium could they be made fully interesting and 
enjoyable to man. Evidently, if all things originated and pro- 
ceeded through the medium of what we call the supernatural, our 
interest in life would be greatly diminished, if not completely 



:20 DA Y DA WNING. 

lost. We should, doubtless, soon tire of an existence which, 
supported by the supernatural, would require but little or no 
effort of any kind for any purpose on our part, or else murmur 
unless greater and greater supernatural displays of goodness and 
power were constantly made. 



IV. 
THE CAUSE OR OCCASION OF EVIL. 

WE will now give what we believe to be a reasonable solu- 
tion of the cause or occasion of evil as it appears in the 
world. As human beings, in order to enjoy their existence 
naturally, and to the greatest advantage, must develop grad- 
ually, or by imperceptible degrees of growth, it follows that,; 
necessarily, the earlier years of human life must be passed in a 
state of comparative ignorance and inexperience. Mankind is 
thus rendered peculiarly liable, at such a time, to the commission 
of errors or mistakes ; and these, when committed, lead, unless 
soon corrected, quite frequently to still further departures from a 
proper course, until at last, as in some instances, men sink to the 
lowest depths of degradation. ^* But if this liability is necessary, 
does it not,'' it may be asked, '^indicate a defect in the Divine 
economy ? If the ignorant and inexperienced are not prevented 
by the arm of Divine power from doing injury to themselves and 
others, does not that fact betray a certain weakness or ineffi- 
ciency in the administration of the affairs of the Divine govern- 
ment ? " Nay, verily ; but rather on the contrary, we have in 
all this an assurance that our Great Father is unwilling to 
interpose anything between us and our perfect freedom of 
thought and action — freedom being one of the conditions most 



THE CAUSE OR OCCASION OF EVIL. , 21 

indispensable to our happiness. Without freedom we should be 
simply the abject and trembling slaves or subjects of a mighty- 
monarch, and not the children of a loving and Almighty Father. 
The evils into which the human race has fallen through ignor- 
ance are, it is true, very great, sometimes they are appalling ; 
but, great as they are, they are nevertheless small in comparison 
with the happiness man generally enjoys ; and this fact, in the 
experience of man, will, of itself, doubtless ever be found suffi- 
cient to vindicate fully the wisdom and goodness of the Creator's 
plans. Even evils themselves have their uses : the sufferings they 
cause are, to man, constant reminders that he has wandered from 
the path of rectitude ; they excite to reformation of life and 
character, and subdue pride : and although human nature would 
doubtless generally be happier without than with them, they 
cannot be said to inflict upon it absolute harm. There are 
doubtless Divine compensations somewhere for all our sufferings 
and sorrows. Our Great Father has made us liable to the com- 
mission of errors through our ignorance and inexperience, not 
that He takes any pleasure in our mistakes, but because, to enable 
us to be happy as his children, He could not constitute us other- 
wise. Progress and development are necessary incidents of our 
happiness, and in order that their scope may be as extensive as 
possible, and our lives all through, be what we call natural, our 
existence must necessarily be commenced in ignorance. Doubt- 
less our Great Father would never have subjected his children to 
this liability if, by any possibility, consistent with their happi- 
ness it could have been avoided. This view is, we think, justi- 
fied by the apostle Paul, where he says, *' the creature was made 
subject to vanity, no^ wiV/mgfy, but by reason of him who hath 
subjected the same in hope." Jesus said: *^ It must needs be 
that offences come " ; not that there was anything in the Divine 
Economy necessarily requiring them, but because man in his 
ignorance could hardly avoid them. Let any one, no matter how 
expert he may be, undertake to walk in a perfectly straight line, 
and not to deviate a hair's breadth to the right hand or to the 



22 DAY DAWNING, 

left, and he will find the accomplishment of such an undertaking 
almost, if not entirely, impossible. How much less, therefore, 
shall those who are ignorant and inexperienced be able to guide 
their steps in the line of perfect rectitude? We know there are 
those who attribute all our errors and woes to what they call the 
apostasy of Adam — that 

'' In Adam's fall 
We sinned 2)\.^^ 

Now, that we have inherited imperfections and evils from our 
ancestors, physical and otherwise, is only too evident : the history 
and condition of man, unmistakably prove this ; but it should be 
borne in mind that evils are not necessarily sins. '' But,*' it may 
be asked, ^^ does not evil come as the result of disobedience to 
some law, natural or divine ; and is not such disobedience sin ? " 
We answer, not necessarily ; a law broken in ignorance can 
hardly be charged as a sin upon the transgressor ; it is an error, 
or mistake, but not, in such a case, a sin ; and we can easily 
imagine that Adam's first transgression was more an error than 
an act of voluntary or wilful disobedience. It seems very im- 
probable that a being fresh from the hand of God, and made in 
God's image, should have committed any act with the intention 
of violating the Divine command. The Scripture statement con- 
cerning the fall is, that ^^ when the woman saw the tree (of 
knowledge of good and evil) was good for food, and that it was 
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, 
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat ; and gave also unto 
her husband with her and he did eat." Now when we consider 
that this tree, like other trees in the garden, was good for food, 
and pleasant to the sight, and that in addition to these qualities, 
it was a tree to be desired to make one wise, we can hardly mar- 
vel that our first parents ate of it. However improper or injuri- 
ous the act may have been to themselves and their posterity, it 
does not seem clear that it was done in the spirit of rebellion to 
the government of God. Our first parents were, necessarily, 
ignorant and inexperienced ; and finding the tree of knowledge 



THE CAUSE OR OCCASION OF EVIL. 23 

of good and evil in the midst of the garden^ and, because ignor- 
ant, desiring to learn or to be made wise, naturally enough in 
their inexperience, partook of its fruit. The tree of life (also in 
the midst of the garden) seems to have been specially guarded 
by angel hands, so that man might not then partake of its fruit. 
Its fruit appears to have been reserved for the healing of man 
after his experiences in good and evil should make the applica- 
tion of the vital principle of redemption an assured success. 
When '^ the New Jerusalem shall come down from God out of 
heaven, and the tabernacle of God shall be with men, there shall 
proceed out of the throne of God and of the Lamb a pure river 
of water of life, clear as crystal, which shall flow through the 
streets of the holy city ; and in the midst of the street thereof, and 
on either side of the river, shall be the tree of life, which shall 
bear twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month; and 
the leaves of the tree shall be for the healing of the nations.'' 
No longer forbidden or restrained by inexperience or evil influ- 
ences, man will then partake of the foicntain of the water of life 
freely, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life with nothing to oppose. 
How far what we call sin is the result of ignorance, inexperi- 
ence and adverse circumstances; or, a voluntary and inexcusable 
alienation from God and his perfect law of righteousness, we 
imagine will not be revealed to us in our finite state. Doubtless, 
such knowledge would not be profitable to us here. It would be 
apt to mar that spirit of charity whose exercise is so important 
to our happiness. Such knowledge possessed by imperfect 
beings, such as we are still, would be likely to lead to hardness 
of heart on the part of those claiming to be righteous, and thus 
defeat all the good that might be supposed to come from the 
possession of it. Besides, we would probably seek to attain only 
to a certain standard of goodness; and, having in our fancy 
reached it, would cease all further effort in the direction of im- 
provement. With our present knowledge as to the cause or 
occasion of evil, all censorious judgment on our part is, we 
believe, unwise ; for where guilt seems to us to be greatest, it 



24 DA Y DA WNING, 

may, in the Divine estimation, be least ; and where it seems to 
us least, it may, in reality, be greatest. The Pharisees of old 
attempted to set up a standard of perfect living ; but, as they 
could not discern the thoughts and intents of the heart, their 
rules, necessarily, consisted of an elaborate system of outward 
and strict observances, ^' which,'* as Paul says, '^ could not make 
the comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience." 
Circumspection in manners and conduct, however attractive and 
desirable, affords no certain proof of moral excellence ; and the 
most constant and punctilious attention to outward observances, 
can never compensate for the lack of divine charity in the soul. 
For the proper regulation of our lives the cultivation of the spirit 
of divine charity is far better than the mere observance of any 
arbitrary rules ; for while the latter may deceive by their plausi- 
bleness, the former will truly enlighten, and eventually lead us 
into the way of all truth. As we cannot positively know the 
origin of the evils that are in the world, (nor indeed the origin 
of anything else, except as we attribute every good thing to the 
Great Creator whom we call God) it is better that we should 
impute evil to man's ignorance rather than to his supposed wilful 
perverseness ; for although evils may, in any given case, proceed 
from one or the other, or both, it is wiser and safer for us to 
charge them to the former (i.e., ignorance) than to the latter. 
By taking this course 

We shall be merciful, and not cruel ; 

We shall be charitable, and not censorious ; 

We shall seek to reform, and not to debase ; 

We shall be ready to forgive, and not to condemn ; 

We shall forgive, as we wish to be forgiven ; 

We shall be contented and thankful, and not envious ; 

We shall pity the rich in the midst of their temptations, 

And the poor in the midst of their poverty ; 

We shall seek to enlighten, and not to becloud ; 

We shall seek to lift up, and not to cast down ; 

We shall seek to improve, and not to degrade. 



THE CAUSE OR OCCASION OF EVIL. 25 

As we are not able to discern or ascertain how far our erring 
brother may or may not have been guilty in the sight of God in 
the commission of any wrong, we shall seek only to reform, and 
not to punish him. If obliged to impose, for the well-being 
and safety of society, unusual restraints upon his liberty, such 
restraints should, in our judgment, be imposed solely with the 
object of protecting society, and of reforming him. We believe, 
therefore, that cruel restraints and punishments or penalties 
ought never to be inflicted in any case. The infliction of capi- 
tal punishment, in particular, (its consequences being irrepara- 
ble) involves a responsibility which we believe no man nor com- 
pany of men can ever justifiably assume. Those who entertain 
the belief that evils spring mainly or entirely from ignorance, 
are clearly not justifiable in inflicting the penalty of death for any 
offense. Those who believe in the doctrine of Original Sin and 
of the Total Depravity of man should, on account of their own 
alleged depravity, certainly not inflict it j for how can persons, 
totally depraved, act righteously in any matter? If it be said 
that only those whose hearts are sanctified by divine grace should 
assume this grave responsibility, by what test should we be able 
to distinguish the sanctified from the unsanctified ? And suppos- 
ing this could be done to the satisfaction of some, or even of 
many, who among these select ones should take the lead in the 
execution of the penalty? If, in any given case, a messenger of 
mercy were to appear in the midst of these and say, '' He that is 
without sin among you let him be the executioner,*' who among 
them would feel himself specially qualified, by virtue of his 
superior sanctity, to act as such ? 

One of the strongest arguments against the laws which author- 
ize the infliction of capital punishment is the fact that the fate 
of a human being under those laws must necessarily depend on 
human testimony, which in many instances has been found to be 
unreliable ; another, is the fact that when the commission of the 
act of murder or killing is clearly proved, the degree of guilt in 
the sight of God, whatever it may be, cannot, as we have inti- 

B 



26 DAY DA WNING, 

mated, be discerned or ascertained by man. Arguments for or 
against capital punishment, based upon statistics, can hardly be 
regarded as conclusive on either side. While the law authoriz- 
ing it may serve as a restraint upon the timid, who are not likely 
to violate it, the example of executions upon the fierce, cruel, 
and reckless elements of society, must have, it seems to us, a 
tendency to inflame the evil passions of such, and so to aid in 
multiplying instances of lawless violence. The fact that execu- 
tions are now generally confined to jail yards, while only a 
limited number of persons is allowed to witness them, is in itself 
a strong argument against this law as a supposed terror to evil- 
doers. If executions are advantageous as examples, why not 
have them as public as possible ? It is said that actions some- 
times speak louder than words. One of two things in this con- 
nection seems clear, either that we are afraid of the bad influence 
of public executions, or else are ashamed to administer, publicly, 
what our revengeful feelings demand, but our consciences con- 
demn. Another argument against capital punishment is the fact 
that like begets like : love begets love : hate begets hate : cruelty 
begets cruelty, and so on ; and we are firmly of the belief that 
all that may be gained by capital punishment, as a restraint upon 
the lawless, is much more than counterbalanced by it as an ex- 
ample of retribution or retaliation. We know there is much in 
the sacred writings which, easily enough, can be construed in 
such a way as to favor capital punishment ; take for example 
Genesis ix : 6 : '^* Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his 
blood be shed " ; this language may be construed as a mandate; 
and so perhaps it was used and understood in and for the age in 
which it was announced ; but, in this more-enlightened age of 
ours, we think we may with propriety receive it simply as a decla- 
ration that like begets like — that whoso commits a violent act 
will be likely to provoke violence in return. We believe 
we are fully justified in giving this construction to the words of 
Jesus, where he says : *' Put up again thy sword into his place : 
for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.'' 



THE CAUSE OR OCCASION OF EVIL. 27 

Certainly the Prince of Peace did not, by this language, intend 
to authorize and justify the use of the sword as a means of 
revenge or retaliation ; doubtless he intended just the contrary ; 
he would have ^' swords beaten into ploughshares, and spears 
into pruning-hooks.'* We are aware that the Scriptures contain 
much that may be said to favor the doctrine that men are fre- 
quently, if not generally, voluntarily and inexcusably guilty of 
the sins or errors they commit : take for example the following 
words of Paul, contained in his letter to the Romans : '^ For the 
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteous- 
ness j because that which may be known of God is manifest in 
them j for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible 
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, be- 
ing understood by the things that are made, even his eternal 
power and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse/' Now, 
while it is true that language similar to this may be found in 
different parts of the Scriptures, it is also true that much may be 
found in them to sustain the argument that sin, or what we call 
sin, originates mainly, if not entirely, in ignorance and inexperi- 
ence. Sometimes, we have reason to believe that ignorance of 
the true God existed, to a great extent, even where human learn- 
ing had made very considerable advance. The Athenians^ for 
instance, to whom the apostle Paul spoke at Mars' Hill, exhib- 
ited this kind of ignorance : ^^ Ye men of Athens,'* said he, '' I 
perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious ; for as I passed 
by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscrip- 
tion. To THE Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly 
worship, him declare I unto you." It would seem that, although 
the people of Athens, and strangers which were there^ spent their 
time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing, 
they were nevertheless strangely deficient in that best of all 
knowledge, the knowledge of the one true God. Further on in 
his discourse to the Athenians, Paul says, ^^ We ought not to 
think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone. 



28 DA V DA WNING. 

graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance 
God winked at, (or overlooked) but now commandeth all men 
everywhere to repent/' In his speech at Cesarea, before King 
Agrippa^ he declares he was sent to the people, including the 
Gentiles, '' to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God." In both of these 
discourses the errors of the people were represented as proceed- 
ing from darkness or ignorance ; in neither of them does he 
charge them with inexcusable perverseness. In his letter to the 
Romans he says : '^Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to 
God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them 
record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to 
knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and 
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not sub- 
mitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." His own 
experience before his conversion was a sufficient testimony to the 
truth of this declaration ; for in his speech before Agrippa he 
says : '^ I, verily, thought with myself that I ought to do many 
things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, which thing I 
also didin Jerusalem, and manyof thesaintsdidlshutupinprison, 
having received authority from the chief priests; and when 
they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I pun- 
ished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blas- 
pheme ; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them 
even unto strange cities. ' ' In his letter to the Galatians, referring 
to his former course, he says, ^^ For ye have heard of my conver- 
sation in time past in the Jew's religion, how that beyond measure 
I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it, and profited in 
the Jew's religion above many my equals m mine own nation, be- 
ing more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 
But when it pleased God to reveal his Son in me, that I might 
preach him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not 
with flesh and blood, neither went I up to Jerusalem to them 
which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and 
returned again unto Damascus." In reading this statement it 



l^HE CAUSE OR OCCASION OF EVIL. 29 

seems impossible to escape the conclusion that Paul was as honest 
and sincere before as after his conversion to Christianity : indeed 
his declaration made before the council of the chief priests at 
Jerusalem, wherein earnestly beholding the council, he said : 
" Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before 
God until this day," would seem to be sufficient to set at rest all 
doubts that might be entertained on this subject. His very sin- 
cerity and earnestness, in enforcing the traditions of his fathers, 
only made him the more efficient in the propagation of the new 
or critical interpretation of the ancient faith \ concerning which, 
he says, '' Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue 
unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none 
other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say 
should come : that Christ should suffer^ and that he should be 
the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light 
unto the people, and to the Gentiles." It would seem that the 
mind of the great apostle had been enveloped in the thick clouds 
of tradition, which only the light of the Spirit of God, coming 
with a power greater than that of the meridian sun shining in his 
strength, could pierce and dispel ; but when his blindness was 
removed, and he could see clearly, how well did he atone for the 
errors of the past ! The Christian world will never cease to adore 
and extol the goodness of that Being whose wonderful provi- 
dence caused the light to shine into and banish such darkness. 
Perceiving that man with merely natural eyes could not readily, 
if at all, discern the things of the Spirit of God, Paul, in his first 
letter to the Corinthians, says: ^^But we speak the wisdom of 
God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained 
before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of 
this world knew : for had they known it, they would not have cru- 
cified the Lord of glory. ' ' The apostle Peter also, after having on 
a certain occasion charged the Jews with ** having killed the 
Prince of Life," said : ''And now, brethren, I wot that through 
ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, 
which God before hath shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, 



k 



30 BA Y DA WNING, 

that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.'' It is no marvel 
that these men should have charged the errors and misdoings of 
their fellow-beings to ignorance and blindness ; for they well 
knew, by their own experience, that it was quite possible for men 
to be honest and sincere, and yet greatly mistaken. But the 
crowning testimony to the truth of this doctrine is to be found 
in the words of Jesus himself who, while suffering the agonies of 
the cross, prayed for his enemies, saying: ^* Father, forgive 
them; for they know not what they do^ ^^ Judge not," said 
Jesus, ^^that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye 
judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete, it 
shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the 
mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam 
that is in thine own eye ? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 
Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye ; and, behold, a beam 
is in thine own eye?" From these considerations it seems 
plain, that whatever may be said of sin as to its supposed nature 
and extent, the real facts concerning it are known alone to God. 
We have great reason to believe, and much testimony to strengthen 
and confirm the belief, that what we call sin exists, directly or 
indirectly, as a consequence of errors or mistakes, which had 
their origin in ignorance and inexperience. At any rate, it is 
safe and best for us to act on this assumption in our intercourse 
with our fellow-men. We need not fear that the exercise of the 
spirit of charity will injure either us or them. 



V. 
"GOD IS CHARITY." 

IN the first epistle of John it is written that ^' God is love '* ; 
or, as a certain version of the Scriptures has it, '^ God is 
charity. ' ' Now, if God, the unerring Judge, is charity, how im- 
portant it is that men, with their limited knowledge and mani- 
fold imperfections, should be charitable to one another. Paul, 
in his first letter to the Corinthians, says : '' Though I speak with 
the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am 
become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I 
have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all 
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove 
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I 
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body 
to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.'' 
In his letter to the Colossians he says : ^^ And above all these 
things (i. e., above all other good things) put on charity, which 
is the bond of perfectness. " To Timothy, he writes in his first 
letter, ^' Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a 
pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.'' 
If these words are true, and we think we can, without doubt, 
receive them not only as true, but as purest inspiration, the full 
understanding and appreciation of all that charity signifies would 
seem to be that which should concern us more than all things 
else. For if a man may be able to communicate his thoughts in the 
tongues or languages of different nations, and that too with the in- 
fluence and power of angels or messengers of God, and, having not 
charity, his words still be but empty sounds ; if he may be able 
to prophesy, and to understand all mysteries ; if he may explore 
the whole realm of human learning and attain to the highest 



32 DA Y DA WNING. 

eminence in every department of science, art and literature ; nay- 
more, if his faith in any of these, or even in God himself, may 
be so strong as to enable him to overcome and remove obstacles 
and difficulties, even though, figuratively speaking, they be heaped 
mountain high, and yet^ without charity, be nothings that is, of but 
little or no value or account ; if he may part with all his worldly 
property and possessions in order that with the proceeds thereof the 
poor may be fed ; if he may, in the earnestness of his zeal, prefer 
martyrdom at the stake to recantation, and yet find all this self- 
denial and suffering profitless v/ithout charity, surely charity must 
be the '' pearl of great price ^' — the '' one thing needful.*' If 
then charity is of such transcendent value and importance, let us 
endeavor to ascertain, if we may, what it is, and how it should 
be manifested. Paul, in his same letter to the Corinthians, says, 
^' Charity suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envieth not ; 
charity vaunteth not itself, is not pufi:ed up, doth not behave 
itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, 
thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the 
truth ; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, 
endureth all things." He further declares that prophecies shall 
fail, that tongues shall cease, and that knowledge shall vanish 
away ; but that '' charity never faileth." 

Briefly, charity may be said to be the love of doing good, and 
the love of ove7^co7ning evil with good. Divine charity and love 
are, in their spirit and operations, simply one and the same, and 
we verily believe that the love of doi7tg good, a7idthe love ofoverco7n- 
ing evil with good, is Gods greatest delight, and 7na7i s best expert- 
e7tce. The apostle James says, '^ If ye fulfill the royal law S-ccord- 
ing to the Scripture, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do 
weliy Paul, in his letter to the Romans, says, ''Love worketh 
no ill to his 7teighbor : therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. ' ' 
To the Galatians, he writes : '' For all the law is fulfilled in one 
word, even in this : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not 
consumed one of another.'' To the Romans, Paul writes: 



''GOD IS CHARITY.'' Sa 

^'Recompense to no man evil for evil." '^ Therefore, if thine 
enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink : for in so 
doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not over- 
come of evil, but overcome evil with good." Jesus says, '' Ye 
have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, 
and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, Love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and 
pray for them which despitefully'use you and persecute you, that 
ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he 
maketh his sun to rise oit the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain 
on the just and on the unjust. ' ' On being asked by one of the 
scribes as to which was the first commandment of all, Jesus 
answered, '' The first of all the commandments is. Hear O Israel : 
The Lord our God is one Lord : and thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, 
and with all thy strength ; this is the first commandment, and the 
segond is like, namely this : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 
self. There is none other commandment greater than these. And 
the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth : 
for there is one God ; and there is none other but he : and to 
love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and 
with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neigh- 
bor as himself, is more than all whole-burnt offerings and sacri- 
fices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto 
him. Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." It will be 
observed that in these passages reference is had to '' the law " 
and to ''the fulfilling of the law." Paul, in his defence before 
King Agrippa, said, " Having, therefore, obtained help of God, 
I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, 
saying none other things than those which the prophets a7id Moses 
did say should come.'''' Let us for a few moments refer to Moses 
and the prophets, or the law and the prophets, and see what they 
say concerning the two great commandments. In Deuteronomy 
vi : 4, 5, it is written, as just quoted, "Hear O Israel: The Lord 
our God is one Lord : and thou shalt love the Lord thy God 



34 DA Y DA WNING. 

with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
might." In Leviticus xix : i8, ^^Thou shalt not avenge, nor 
bear any grudge against the children of thy people ; but thou 
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." In Proverbs xxv : 21, 22, 
it is written, '' If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat ; 
ctuu if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: for thou shalt heap 
coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee." 
The prophet Micah predicts the fulfilling of the work of the Just 
One in the words, '' And he shall judge among many people, 
and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their 
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks ; 
nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they 
learn war any more." What is as yet, to a considerable extent, 
a discordant and contentious world, the prophet Isaiah predicts 
will be a harmonious and happy family. He says : ^^ The wolf 
also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down 
with the kid ; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling 
together, and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and 
the bear shall feed ; their young ones shall lie down together, and 
the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall 
play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his 
hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy 
in all my holy mountain : for the earth shall be full of the knowl- 
edge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea./ ' Further quota- 
tions, from the law and the prophets, of the same import, might 
be multiplied, but these may serve for the present moment. 
Whatever may be said of the value of rites and ceremonies, of 
ordinances and observances, under the law, it seems clear that 
the sages and prophets of ancient time regarded them, at best, as 
mere instrumentalities, serviceable then, but which in time should 
perish in the using — mere scaffolding which, when the Temple 
of Truth is completely finished, will be laid aside as of no further 
value. ^^ Wherewith," says the prophet Micah, ^^ shall I come 
before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God ? Shall I 
come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old ? 



''GOD IS CHARITY.'' 35 

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten 
thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give my first-born for my 
transgression — the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? He 
hath shewed thee, O man, what is good ; and what doth the Lord 
require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk 
humbly with thy God? '* Clearly the fulfilling of the law is to 
take pleasure in doing good, and to take pleasure in overcoming 
evil with good. When Jesus of Nazareth commenced his ministry 
he observed that while the Jews were scrupulously careful as to 
the observance of rites, ceremonies and ordinances, they were 
strangely neglectful of the weightier matters of the law — that the 
Golden Rule, according to its full meaning, was indeed quite 
disregarded. To fulfill, in its completeness, what up to that 
time was the unfulfilled part of the law, viz : the law of love : to 
magnify this law in all that he said and did and suffered, in order 
that he might himself enjoy fellowship with the Father, and be to 
erring man, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, were, we believe, 
the objects for which Christ came. ^^ Think not," said Jesus, 
*^ that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not 
come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till 
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass 
from the law till all be fulfilled." By the blameless life of Jesus 
of Nazareth, and by his Godlike sympathy for all, whether ene- 
mies or friends, through life and in death, this neglected and 
vital principle of the law, viz : the law of love — the love of doing 
good, and the love of overcoming evil with good — was perfectly 
fulfilled ; for he was, as the apostle Paul says, ' ' holy, harmless , 
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the 
heavens." Paul would have all the disciples of Jesus to be like 
Jesus in spirit and in truth. 

In Paul's letter to the Philippians he says: '^ Do all things 
without murmurings and disputings : that ye may be blameless 
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of 
a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine (or shine 
ye) as lights in the world." When Jesus was asked by Pontius 



36 DA Y DA WNING. 

Pilate the question, ^^ Art thou the King of the Jews?" Jesus 
answered, ^* My kingdom is not of this world ; if my kingdom 
were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should 
not be delivered to the Jews ; but now is my kingdom not from 
hence." Christ Jesus was the perfect embodiment of the Divine 
gentleness and harmlessness ; and it was on this account, we 
believe, that he was called ^' the Lamb of God which taketh away 
the sin of the world." Surely if men would take delight in 
being as harmless as lambs, the sin of the world would quickly 
disappear. As the divine principle of charity or love is vital and 
indestructible we have every reason to believe that, although its 
operations are gentle and unobtrusive, its blessed influence w411 
continue to spread until it shall be felt and acknowledged 
throughout the whole world. Then shall the kingdoms of this 
world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. 
^'The kingdom of heaven," said Jesus, '' is like to a grain of 
mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which 
indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown it is the 
greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of 
the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." Again, '^ The 
kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and 
hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened." In 
his letter to the Philippians, Paul, speaking of the lowliness and 
humility of Jesus, says, "• Wherefore God also hath highly exalted 
him, and given him a name which is above every name : that at 
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, 
and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of 
God the Father." Jesus instructs his disciples to pray, *^ Our 
Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy king- 
dom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." We 
may be assured that, sooner or later, this prayer, which has 
ascended from millions of hearts and lips, will be answered ; 
that not alone in heaven, but in earth as well, God's law of love 
shall be perfectly fulfilled. '^ Not one jot or one tittle shall in 



" GOD IS charity:' 37 

any wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.'* Charity never 
faileth : its blessed influence shall extend until the earth shall be 
full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 
^' Behold/' said Jesus to his disciples, "- 1 send you forth as sheep 
in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents, and 
harmless as doves y Nevertheless, he sends his disciples forth 
as brave soldiers to fight the battles of the Cross; but they are sent 
not to destroy sinners, but sin. They possess the spirit of their 
beloved Captain, '^who came not to destroy men's lives, but to 
save them.*' An invincible army of soldiers are they, for they 
are arrayed in the '^ whole armour of God: having their loins 
girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteous- 
ness, and their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of 
peace y Their principal defense is " the shield of faith, where- 
with they are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." 
They also wear '' the hebjiet of salvation,'" and fight with ''the 
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ' ' ^' For the word 
of God," says Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews, '^ is quick and 
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even 
to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and 
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the 
heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His 
sight ; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him 
with whom we have to do." These are they who, led by their 
valiant Chief, go forth ^^ conquering and to conquer" : the army 
of the ''meek" who, eventually, ''shall inherit the earth." 
Their battle cry is, " God is love : love worketh no ill to his 
neighbor. ' ' 

" But why," it may be asked, "is that which is so pre-emi- 
nently good in principle, and indestructible in its nature, so 
indifferently understood and appreciated by the world at large ? " 
In reply, we will repeat, in substance, what we have already said 
concerning what we believe to be the cause or occasion of evil, 
and this, we think, will aid us somewhat in our efforts to arrive 



38 DA V DA WNING, 

at a reasonable conclusion upon this point, if indeed it does not 
afford a satisfactory explanation of it. 

Admitting that there is, and has been, but one Supreme Being 
— but one Infinite Intelligence — it follows that, if any other 
intelligences are to exist in the Universe, they must necessarily be 
either infinite or finite. Any multiplication of the Infinite One 
would seem to be an impossibility, for we cannot conceive of 
more than One Being as being infinite in all his attributes. But 
if God could, or would, call into existence a multitude of beings, 
each one possessing within himself infinite power and resources, 
it is evident that their intercourse with one another would be 
without interest to any : for neither would have any occasion 
to benefit or assist another. There would, as between them, be 
nothing to learn, nothing to do, and nothing to enjoy, except 
the perfect holiness of each and all. A universe of intelligences, 
all equal in knowledge and power, would be a Great Monotony, 
and therefore uninteresting to all. On the other hand, if God 
had no intelligent companions at all, we can well imagine that 
He would find the Universe both uninteresting and unenjoyable. 
He who has peopled His vast domains with myriads of intelli- 
gences for his own enjoyment and theirs, could hardly take any 
pleasure in an Infinite Solitude. It is evident, therefore, that 
even God himself would not be happy without dependent off- 
spring, and that His offspring could not be happy except as they 
were created to depend upon Him. It was on this account, we 
believe, that God created man a dependent being, and in the 
image of God. It was that man might have an existence to enjoy 
as an intelligent being, and that God and man might enjoy each 
other, the One as the loving Great Father, the other as the con- 
fiding child. To secure the greatest amount of rational happi- 
ness to man, several conditions, as we have intimated, were and 
are, we believe, necessary, prominent among which are the fol- 
lowing, to wit : 

I St. Man must be a free-agent, his will perfectly unfettered ; 



''GOD IS charity:' 39 

as free as the will of his Great Father in whose image he was 
created. 

2d. The greatest variety possible, of subjects, objects, and inci- 
dents, must be presented to and for his use, contemplation, and 
amusement. 

3d. In order that these subjects, objects, and incidents may be 
as numerous as possible, and secure the greatest variety of natural 
conditions, it is necessary that man's existence should be com- 
menced with what we call the infinitesimal or minute, and pro- 
ceed through the medium of progress and development in the 
direction of the Infinite. 

4th. It is necessary that man^s progress and development 
should be by imperceptible degrees. of growth, or through the 
medium of what we call the natural, and not through the medium 
of the miraculous or supernatural ; as, evidently, the employment 
of miracles or the supernatural, in his behalf, would interfere 
with his acts as a free-agent, and disturb all his calculations based 
on the relations of cause and effect, and impair, if not destroy, 
the happiness he derives from aims, motives and pursuits: hence 
the avoidance of miracles or the supernatural, in the Divine 
Economy, which, but for this, might sometimes be advantage- 
ously interposed ; as, for instance, in the arresting of the hand 
uplifted for the purpose of striking a murderous blow, or in avert- 
ing suddenly^ by such means, any other great or serious attempted 
wrong, or in averting any misfortune. It is therefore necessary 
that man's existence, as well as that of all other living things upon 
the earth, they being created for the use and happiness of man, 
should commence with the infinitesimal or minute, and that he and 
they should develop according to their respective natures, all crea- 
tures on the earth being subject to the control of man, and under 
the superintendence and care of a watchful Providence. In the 
sacred Scriptures it is written: ^^And God said. Let us make 
man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion 
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over 
the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every living thing 



40 DAY DAWNING. 

that creepeth upon the earth." So jealous is our Great Father 
for our freedom, it being essential to our happiness, that He 
allows us to do many things which He, although the Almighty 
God, forbears to do. He does not, by His own act, as we have 
just observed, arrest the arm uplifted for the purpose of striking 
a murderous blow, because to do so would be to involve the 
interposition of a miracle, or the supernatural, but man may do 
this without the aid of the supernatural. And so with almost, if 
not all, the events of our lives, what we do is done through the 
medium, or by the agency, of our natural powers, while many, 
if not all, of the same things would, if performed directly by the 
hand of God alone, necessarily involve the employment of what 
we call miracles or the supernatural. To the suggestion that the 
existence of Adam, the first man, must have been commenced 
through the medium of the supernatural, and that therefore other 
supernatural events may as well happen also, we reply, that, as 
to beginnings, or, what may be termed first causes, the super- 
natural may be employed without at all affecting the general 
plan, there being but one or two creatures of a kind to begin 
with, and they having no more personal knowledge of their 
origin than any of the individuals that succeed them. Respect- 
ing the creation of Eve, the companion of the first man, it is 
written : ^^ And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon 
Adam, and he slept : and he took one of his ribs, and closed up 
the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had 
taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the 
man.** Even from the first man the operations which we sup-, 
pose were special or supernatural respecting the creation of Eve, 
were carefully concealed, the man being not only asleep, but in 
^^ a deep sleep '* while the woman was being formed. Now while 
on the one hand it would seem that, for the well-being and safety 
of man, he should have had from the beginning a supernatural 
and articulate voice constantly at his ear directing him what to 
do, and what to leave undone ; telling him what things were 
right and what were wrong, even to the minutest particular; 



''GOD IS charity:' 41 

instructing him direct in everything relating to his good ; yet on 
the other, it is evident that with such an attendant, man could 
have had but little or no freedom ; and consequently those en- 
joyments which are derived from aims, objects, experiments, and 
pursuits, would, in all probability, have been, entirely unrealized. 
So also with regard to man's physical wants ; if they were sup- 
plied by supernatural means he would soon be filled to satiety, 
(for God gives overflowingly) and, taking no part in the produc- 
tion of the fruits of the earth, he (man) would soon cease to 
enjoy them. The Divine Charity itself is doubtless better appre- 
ciated in hungering and thirsting after it than it would be if it 
were constantly bestowed unsought. It is, therefore, we believe, 
essential to the happiness of man, at least in his present state, 
that God, the Infinite, should be known to man not through the 
medium of the supernatural, but through an unobservable influ- 
ence or power as to what is purely natural, and by an influence 
on the mind and heart of man equally gentle and unobtrusive, 
as to things spiritual : for not only in natural things is there 
birth, progress, and development, but the same is true also in 
spiritual things. Said Jesus to Nicodemus : ^* Marvel not that 
I said unto thee. Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth 
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not 
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one 
that is born of the Spirit." Even of Jesus himself it is said: 
'^And the child grew, and waxed strorig in spirit, filled with 
wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him." And again, 
'' And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, (or age) and in 
favour with God and man." Paul, in his first letter to the 
Corinthians, speaking of his work among them as a Christian 
minister, says : ''I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave 
the increase. For we are labourers together with God ; ye are 
God's husbandry, (or tillage) ye are God's building." The 
Christian is represented here under the figure of a plant, as sus- 
ceptible of improvement by culture, until God, who is all in all, 
shall perfect the increase. Also under the figure of a building, 



42 DAY DAWNING, 

whose foundation must first be laid before the work upon it can 
proceed, and then progress by slow degrees until the structure is 
complete. In another reference to growth or progress, Paul 
says : ^' When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood 
as a child, I thought (or reasoned) as a child ; but when I 
became a man I put away childish things. For now we see 
through a glass darkly ; (or in a riddle) but then face to face : 
now I know in part ; but then shall I know even as also I am 
known.'' To the Colossians, Paul writes : '' We do not cease to 
pray for you, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all 
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in 
the knowledge of God.^' In the second epistle of Peter, it is 
written: *^ Beware, lest ye fall from your own steadfastness. 
But grow in grace ^ and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ." 

Quotations from the Scriptures, of like import, might be mul- 
tiplied, but those we have given may, for the present moment at 
least, suffice to illustrate this point. It seems clear that miracles 
or the supernatural is avoided, in the Divine Economy, as well 
in spiritual things as in those that are natural. And now, we 
think, we have arrived at a reasonable explanation as to why it 
is that the Divine Charity is not yet fully understood and appre- 
ciated by the world at large. Freedom of thought and action, 
progress, and development, and freedom from the supernatural, 
we have found to be conditions indispensable to the happiness of 
man ; these conditions, as we have seen, render him constantly 
liable to the commission of errors or mistakes ; this liability is 
nevertheless unavoidable : as, without it, man could not be fully 
in the image of his Great Father. As, to avoid miracles or the 
supernatural, and make man's life on earth enjoyable, it was and 
is necessary that man's physical nature should commence with the 
infinitesimal or minute, and that it should develop slowly, and 
by imperceptible degrees of growth, so his progress, with respect 
to his intellectual and moral natures has, for the same reason, 
also been slow. The development of a human being, from 



''GOD IS charity:' 43 

infancy to full maturity, is probably slower than that of any 
other animal ; and the progress of mankind, toward perfection in 
things moral and spiritual, has certainly not been rapid. It 
required, apparently, the lapse of four thousand years or more 
from the creation of the first man before the Divine Principle of 
love — the love of doing good and the love of overcoming evil 
with good — could find its complete exemplification in any indi- 
vidual of the human race, and even then it was, for a time, exhi- 
bited by only one, viz : Jesus of Nazareth. Since then more than 
eighteen hundred years have passed away, and still we find this 
Divine Principle but imperfectly understood or appreciated even 
by many of those who profess to be Christ's faithful followers. 
But the day is manifestly dawning, and the signs of the times 
quite clearly indicate that ere long the light of truth, as exempli- 
fied in the life and death of Jesus Christ, will break over the 
whole earth, and banish ignorance and selfishness, and all the 
evils that have arisen therefrom. Before we consider the tokens 
which seem to point to such a realization as not far ofi*, we will, 
in connection with other subjects, more or less relating thereto, 
try to answer any objections that may be made to our views con- 
cerning miracles, and especially as far as we may be charged 
with doubting the correctness of the accounts of those miracles 
that are recorded in the sacred writings. 



VI. 

MIRACLES, OR THE SUPERNATURAL. 

ANY one, at all familiar with the Scriptures of the Old and 
New Testament, is well aware that their language cannot 
always be taken literally without making them sometimes appear 
to contradict themselves. It is also equally well understood that, 
read and interpreted by the light which the Holy Spirit affords, 
they appear harmonious and complete in all their parts. We will 
quote some passages from them which evidently require a spiritual 
interpretation, if the integrity of the Scriptures is to be maintained. 
For instance, ^^ Think not,'' said Jesus, ^'that I am come to 
send peace on the earth : I am not come to send peace, but a 
sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his 
father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter- 
in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be 
they of his own household." Similar language may be found 
in the Book of the prophet Micah, from which it may have been 
quoted. Now it is evident that without a spiritual interpreta- 
tion, these words of Jesus are not only objectionable, but dan- 
gerous. Understood literally, and acted out accordingly, they 
could be productive only of discord. We do not understand 
Jesus to declare here that he came to be the cause of addi- 
tional discord in the world, but simply that variance would be 
the effect, at least for a considerable time, of the promulgation of 
his levelling doctrines. It was as if he had said, '^ Think not 
that I am come to commend the wrong that is in the world; I 
am not come to commend it, but to expose it. I find the few 
leagued together for the oppression of the many. I find the 
scribes and Pharisees, who, on account of their intelligence and 
learning, ought, by all means possible, to assist and sympathize 



MIRACLES, OR THE SUPERNATURAL, 45 

with the people in their toils and trials, instead thereof, binding 
heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and laying them on 
men's shoulders; while they themselves will not move them 
with one of their fingers: and although I am come not to de- 
stroy men's lives but to save them, and to set forth, by precept 
and example, that love worketh 7io ill to his neighbor, yet, 
by many, my motives will either be misconstrued or misunder- 
stood : by some — the worldly-prudent for instance — I will be op- 
posed as revolutionary, and, in their estimation, therefore dan- 
gerous; and by others I will be opposed because love will neces- 
sarily bring to light and expose their selfishness and hate. 
All these, with some exceptions, will oppose or hate me, and, 
for a time, they will persecute many of my followers, even unto 
death. Besides, some of my followers, not discerning clearly 
the purpose of my coming, will quarrel among themselves about 
questions relating to me and my earliest disciples, until some, 
forgetting the very first principles of my mission, will, in the 
heat of their zeal, and supposing they are doing God service, 
put even their brethren to death. The brother shall betray 
the brother to death, and the father, the son ; and children shall 
rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to 
death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." 
Jesus saw clearly that the proclamation by him and his faithful 
followers, of the law of love, embracing as it did the doctrine of 
equal rights for all men, would excite the opposition and enmity 
of the proud and selfish, and that many in consequence of this 
would be put to the sword. Hence as the occasion of discord 
but not the cause of it, did Jesus come not to bring peace but a 
sword, but with the object of establishing eventually in the 
earth, that peace of God which alone can endure, namely : that 
peace which arises from the love of what is beneficent and right. 
''I am come," said Jesus, "• to send fire on the earth; and what 
will I, if it be already kindled?" Taken literally, this language 
would be an encouragement to incendiarism and the horrors that 
frequently accompany it. Such a construction of the words of 



46 DA V DA WNING. 

him, who was and is ^^holy, harmless and pure/* is not to be 
entertained for a moment. He came it is true to destroy, as 
with a consuming and unquenchable fire, all that is sinful in 
man, but not to destroy the sinner : so far as the sinner is con- 
cerned he came to seek and to save that which was lost. 

Again, Jesus, speaking of the bread which came down from 
heaven, saidj '' I am that bread of life. This is the bread which 
cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. 
I am the living bread which came down from heaven : if any man 
eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will 
give is my fleshy which I will give for the life of the world.'* 
His listeners therefore strove among themselves, saying, How 
can this man give us his flesh to eat ? Jesus said unto them, 
*^ Verily, verily, I say unto you; except ye eat the flesh of the 
Son of man^ and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and 
I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed 
and my blood is drink indeed.'^ As these words appear, on their 
face, to be free from all ambiguity, it is not at all wonderful 
that many pious persons should regard them as literally true. 
Happily, however, we have from the lips of Jesus himself their 
interpretation, and that too in connection with their utterance. 
Perceiving that his disciples did not understand him, he ex- 
plained by saying, ^^It is the spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh 
profiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit 
and they are life.'* It is as though he had said, '' Your bodies 
are vehicles; your minds, the force or power that directs their 
course ; your bodies are temples ; your souls are the living princi- 
ples by which they are occupied. If your minds are rightly exer- 
cised, the vehicle will be put to proper uses : if your souls are 
truly enlightened and purified, the temple will be preserved from 
defilement and destruction : it is the spirit that quickeneth ; 
What spirit? The spirit of love — the love of doing good, and 
the love of overcoming evil with good. This is meat and drink 
or life to every true soul, as it is the life of my Father's soul 



MIRACLES, OR THE SUPERNATURAL. 47 

and mine. Feed on this bread of heaven and you shall never 
die. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, 
and God in him : therefore as God is eternal, so shall true 
souls live forever, they being in God, and God being in them." 
For ages, the songs of David have been a comfort to the faithful : 
they have received renewed strength, and taken fresh courage, 
as, from time to time, they have read, '' God is our refuge and 
strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we 
fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be 
carried into the midst of the sea ; though the waters thereof 
roar and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the 
swelling thereof. " ^^The Lord is gracious^ and full of com- 
passion : slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good 
to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." '' Thy 
Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and thy dominion endur- 
eth throughout all generations." " The eyes of all wait upon 
thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou 
openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living 
thing." ^' O ! give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good : for his 
mercy endureth forever." 

Now, while the words we have just quoted, are comforting 
and encouraging, and calculated to promote a right spirit with- 
in us, there are other words of the Psalmist which, unless spirit- 
ually interpreted, would at least be very unedifying ; for exam- 
ple, much that is contained in the CIX Psalm, wherein, 
apparently speaking of his enemy, or adversary, the Psalm- 
ist says, '*Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow; 
let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg ; let them 
seek their bread also out of their desolate places ; let the ex- 
tortioner catch all that he hath, and let the strangers spoil his 
labor ; let there be none to extend mercy unto him ; neither 
let there be any to favor his fatherless children; let his posterity be 
cut off, and in the generation following, let their name be blotted 
out. As he loved cursing, so let it be unto him ; as he delighted 
not in blessing, so let it be far from him ; as he clothed him- 



48 I) A Y DA WNING, 

self with cursing like as with a garment, so let it come into his 
bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him 
as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he 
is girded continually ; let this be the reward of mine adversa- 
ries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my 
soul." The tenor of this language, certainly^ does not agree 
with that which we have just before quoted, nor does it agree 
with that which was uttered about a thousand years afterward, 
by him who was called the Son of David, namely: ^* Ye have 
heard that it hath been said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate 
thine enemy. But I say unto you. Love your enemies, bless them 
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye may 
be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh 
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on 
the just and on the unjust.'* If these words of Christ, and the 
words we have just quoted from the CIX Psalm, are all to be 
taken literally, it is evident that all of them cannot be profitable 
for instruction and guidance in spiritual things. To make them 
harmonious, we must interpret these words of the Psalmist as 
properly an imprecation invoking the curse of God, not upon the 
sinner^ but upon sin; and we believe we are fully justified in giv- 
ing them this construction. David lived in a comparatively 
dark age, and there was, probably, quite as much merit in simply 
loving one's neighbor then as there is in loving one's enemy 
now; we have more light now, so far as instrumentalities are 
concerned, and our responsibilities are therefore greatly increased. 
If the Psalmist were living upon the earth at the present time, he 
would, doubtless, say, '^Let ^z/// starve and beg, and let there be 
none to favor it ; in all that it does, let its work be spoiled, and 
let there be none to give it countenance or encouragement. Let 
it be banished from the world, and let its very name be blotted 
out. As it has cursed mankind, so let destruction come into its 
bowels like water, and like oil into its bones. Let this be the 



MIRACLES, OR THE SUPERNATURAL, 49 

reward of evil : let this be the reward of every usage or habit 
which injures or degrades mankind." 

The freedom which we have taken with the words of Jesus to 
show that, although he sometimes used what seemed like inflam- 
matory language, he was, nevertheless, not only not a violent 
revolutionist but, on the contrary, holy, harmless, the Prince 
of Peace; and the latitude which we have taken with the ap- 
parently conflicting doctrines that are contained within the 
books of the Old and New Testaments, in order that their har- 
mony or integrity may be maintained, we believe it right to take 
with the statements concerning miracles which are also contained 
in those books. As no man has any personal knowledge of his 
own origin, and can therefore, of himself, neither prove nor dis- 
prove anything respecting it, and as every man is necessarily also 
personally ignorant of everything that transpired in the world 
previous to his own advent into it, it were, evidently, presumptu- 
ous for any one to deny that miracles were ever wrought. It were 
better not to attempt either to prove or disprove the correctness 
of the Scripture record concerning them, but to take the Script- 
ures as we find them, learning such lessons and obtaining such 
light from them as, guided by the Holy Spirit, we can improve 
to our edification. When we read that about five thousand per- 
sons were at one time fed from five barley loaves and two small 
fishes, and that at another time about four thousand persons were 
fed from seven loaves and a few small fishes, and that the frag- 
ments taken up were greater in quantity after the larger multi- 
tude had eaten than they were after the smaller one had been 
supplied, although the initial loaves were more numerous in the 
latter case than in the former, we are reminded that our Great 
Father is not only a compassionate Being, but also infinite in 
resources, and that the greater our need is, the more abundant 
will be the supply. When we read that persons were raised from 
the dead and brought to life again, we are encouraged to believe 
that, by His Spirit, God can quicken, and bring to newness of 
life, those who are dead in trespasses and in sins. As natural 

C 



50 DAY DAWNING, 

vision was restored ^ so with our spiritual sight we shall see our 
Redeemer as He is. As deaf ears were unstopped, so shall we 
have ^^ ears to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches/' 
As the lame were enabled to walk firmly, so can we become 
'^strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might/' Thus, 
*^ whatsoever things were written aforetime'* we can accept 
as ^^ written for our learning, that we, through patience and 
comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." From the account 
of the second, or repetition of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, 
we may learn also that the Divine goodness and fullness are ex- 
haustless, and that His loving-kindness and tender mercies will 
be continued from day to day. From the fact that the multi- 
tudes were fed upon both loaves and fishes, we may learn that we 
can depend upon both the sea and the land for needed supplies : 
and the assurance that the products of both the sea and the land 
will be abundantly ample lies, demonstratively, in the fact that, 
as to the products of both, wonderful provision has been made 
for their manifold natural increase. If, for instance, a few small 
fishes were permitted to increase without any loss whatever, it 
would not be very many years before their progeny would fill 
every rivulet, river and sea. If a quantity of barley, out of 
which five ordinary loaves could be made, were sown on the 
earth, and thenceforth cultivated to the saving of every grain, its 
product would, before very many generations, cover the face of 
all the arable land throughout the world. The providence of 
God is abundantly ample for every human need if used aright : 
wherever any suffering from want occurs, we may be assured it 
arises from some mistake or fault of man. Evils inflicted and 
suffered come from maa's doings, and are not of God's appoint- 
ment, except in so far as suffering is appointed to remind us of 
our deviations from rectitude, and to prompt us to return to the 
path of duty. 

But, it may be objected, that however much miracles would 
interfere with our happiness as a rule, their exception has, at 
times, been found to be a necessary part of the Divine Economy. 



MIRACLES, OR THE SUPERNATURAL. 51 

In this connection, reference may be made to the gospels of 
Matthew and Luke to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was not only 
the immediate offspring of God, the Father, according to the 
Spirit, but also according to the flesh, and that his advent into 
the world was, therefore, through the medium of a miracle. 
For reasons, already stated in connection with our views respect- 
ing miracles, we shall not attempt to prove or disprove the New 
Testament account concerning the origin and birth of Christ 
according to the flesh. The record respecting it is, by many if 
not by most devout professing Christians, believed to be literally 
correct ; and it were presumptuous to deny, without being able 
to disprove it. It will not do to say that this account is a mere 
tradition, in keeping with those traditions of the ancients, in 
which certain distinguished persons are represented as having 
descended from the gods. The New Testament record is, evi- 
dently, so superior, in its moral and spiritual doctrines, to every 
other, that belief in any of its statements can hardly be withheld, 
especially when viewed in the light which the Spirit throws upon 
it. The record is not that Jesus descended, as the ancients of re- 
nown are said to have descended, from a god, or the gods, but 
from God — a most important distinction. It is true that allusion 
is made in the Old Testament (Genesis VI) to " men " and to 
^' sons of God,*' as if the latter were, in some sense, superior to 
the former. The language is : '^ And it came to pass when ^ men ' 
began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were 
born unto them, that the ' sons of God * saw the ' daughters of 
men ' that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which 
they chose''; and it is stated that *^ their children became 
mighty men which were of old, men of renown." But the state- 
ment concerning Jesus is that he descended not from one of the 
'' sons of God," but that he was himself '^ the Son of God," a 
distinction, certainly, not enjoyed by any man previous to his 
advent. We are disposed, therefore, not to question the cor- 
rectness of the Scripture statement concerning the origin of 



52 BA V DA WNING, 

Jesus of Nazareth ; especially in view of the fact that, exalt him 
as we may, too much cannot be said to magnify his name. We 
believe it right, however, to place such a construction upon the 
statement as may not, in all respects, be consistent with its 
literal rendering. We have seen that much of the language of 
Scripture, to be read aright, must be read in the light which the 
Spirit gives; and we believe the account we have of the advent 
or origin of Jesus, does not justify us in making it an exception 
to this rule. We believe it is a matter of far greater importance 
to us, to know that we have Christ within us, the hope of 
glory, than it is for us to know the origin of Jesus of Nazareth 
according to the flesh. Jesus himself says, ^^It is the spirit that 
quickeneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing : the words that I speak 
unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.*' It is said of him 
also that, ^^he was tempted in all points like as we are/' 
and here, too, we have an intimation that, with respect to 
spiritual life, the flesh profiteth nothing. It is many times, 
doubtless, a hindrance to spiritual progress. Indeed, the great 
Apostle to the Gentiles, says, ^' For I know that in me (that is, 
in my flesh), dwelleth no good thing : for to will is present with 
me ; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Again, 
alluding to his body, he says, ^' O wretched man, that I am! 
Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" It is worthy 
of note also, in this connection, that in the gospels, according 
to Mark and John, no particular allusion is made to the birth of 
Christ according to the flesh. It is true that John speaks of 
him as *^ the only begotten Son of God ;" but there is nothing 
in this expression that necessarily refers to anything more than 
a spiritual relationship ; for in speaking of other sons, John 
says, '^But as many as received him (i. e. Christ) to them 
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that be- 
lieve on his name : which were born, not of blood, nor of the will 
of the flesh, nor of the will of ma7i, but of God.'' The distinc- 
tion between natural birth and spiritual birth was clearly recog- 



MIRACLES, OR THE SUPERNATURAL. 53 

nized by Christ himself when he said to Nicodemus, ''That 
which is born of the flesh is flesh j and that which is born of 
the Spirit is spirit/' 

But, it may be said, that Jesus was the immediate off- 
spring of God, the Father, and that therefore his very body 
was itself spiritual, being born of the Spirit, as well as according 
to the flesh. We reply that the words of Christ, on this point, 
seem too plain to be misunderstood; he says distinctly, "the 
flesh profiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you, they are 
Spirit, and they are life^ Adam, the first man, was, we may 
reasonably believe, the immediate offspring of God, and yet he 
appears to have readily fallen into temptation : so far as spirit- 
ual life was concerned he found that ''the flesh profited noth- 
ing.'* Although he was the immediate offspring of God, this 
fact did not make his natural body a spiritual one also. Those 
who are born of God, according to the Spirit, "are born, not 
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man." 
We hence conclude that the origin of Jesus, according to the 
flesh, does not concern us. We believe we should be chiefly 
concerned to understand those words of his which he declares 
to be "spirit " and "life; " and to follow, as far as possible, his 
blessed example. 

"But," it may be asked, "if we are to regard the origin of Jesus, 
according to the flesh, as unimportant in a spiritual point of view, 
how is it that ' God hath highly exalted him, and given him a 
name which is above every name?' " We answer, because with 
perfect consecration of soul, he took pleasure in doing good, 
and in overcoming evil with good. 

"But why was not the perfect law of love understood and 
carried out before ? Why were four thousand years or more al- 
lowed to pass away before the Christ of God should make his 
appearance upon the earth?" We reply, that the seed of the 
Spirit was sown in the hearts of men in all the ages before 
Christ's advent : there was growth but in none was there per- 
fection. As we have already shown, progress and development. 



54 BA Y DA WNING, 

and that by imperceptible degrees of growth, are, for the hap- 
piness of man, necessary features of the divine economy ; and 
it seemed to require all those thousands of years to pass away 
before the Christ of God could be perfectly manifested in the 
flesh. Then did perfect love, in the person of Jesus of Naza- 
reth, appear among men; and '^ they beheld his glory, the glory 
as of the only begotten of the Father;'* for he was ^'fulloi 
grace and truth.'* Previous thereto, no perfect development of 
goodness had ever appeared upon the earth, and therefore was 
Jesus called the only begotten Son of God. Abraham was 
faithful; Job was patient; Moses was meek; David poured 
forth praises to God in song, and ruled righteously in Israel ; 
Solomon was wise, or at least abounded in knowledge of men 
and things; Samuel was devout, and the prophets of Israel were 
contemplative and true ; but Jesus possessed all that was good in 
all these, and more — he was ' 'full of grace and truth, ' ' They 
were incomplete in knowledge of divine things ; he was perfect 
in thought, word, and deed. '^The law" (i. e. the command 
to do) '^was given by Moses,'* ^^but grace and truth" (i. e. Di- 
vine or disinterested love) * ' came by Jesus Christ. ' ' According to 
the words of the Apostle Paul, as contained in his first letter to 
the Corinthians, prominence of origin or position according to 
the flesh, is not at all a necessary concomitant to the attainment 
of excellence in spiritual things. He says, '^ For ye see your 
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, 
not many mighty, not many noble, are called : but God hath 
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; 
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound 
the things which are mighty ; and base things of the world, and 
things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things 
which are not, to bring to nought things that are : that no flesh 
should glory vn His presence." Even Christ himself could as 
well proceed from an humble, as from an exalted origin; as 
well occupy a hovel as a palace : love is not necessarily confined 
to either, although it is more likely to be found in the hovel 



CHRIST AS A SA VI OUR. 55 

than in the palace. Indeed the very obscurity of the parentage 
of Jesus, according to the flesh, is well calculated to encourage 
our common humanity to hope for redemption through him as 
our Divine Exemplar : for if a poor peasant could be so highly 
exalted, and bear a testimony so perfect, and that, in the midst 
of the most discouraging circumstances, to what holiness of life 
may not all men hope to attain through him ! Even while Jesus 
was suffering the agonies of the cross, to which his enemies had 
nailed him, and it seemed as if God, the Father, had forsaken 
him also, even then his faith in God, and his love to God and 
man, remained unshaken ; '^Father, forgive my enemies,'* said 
he, *' for they know not what they do." 



VII. 

CHRIST AS A SAVIOUR. 



I) UT,'' it may be asked, ** if Christ Jesus is only our Di- 
I y vine Exemplar or 'Light' — * the true Light which light- 
eth every man that cometh into the world,' — in what way can 
we profit by his death as a good example only? for it is written, 
* In him was life, and the life was the light of men.' Surely his 
death must have been something more than merely a good 
example." 

We reply, that his death was far more than an ordinary example 
of "goodness: it w^as an example of self-renunciation and meek sub- 
mission, which far surpassed, in its scope and importance, the good 
examples of all the excellent that had preceded him. It is an exam- 
ple which teaches us all to cultivate that spirit which '' worketh no 
iir^ to our fellow beings, and to be willing to suffer death, as he 
did, rather than inflict intentional harm on any human being. 



56 DA V DA WNING. 

whether enemy or friend. It was an example which wrought 
deliverance to his enemies ; first, in that he suffered them to take 
his life rather than save his own by taking theirs ; second, in 
that it delivered such of them as profited by it, and delivers all 
who profit by it, from the bondage of selfishness and hate. It 
was thus that Christ Jesus became to men their Divine Exemplar 
and, as such, also their Great Deliverer or Saviour. Divine or 
unselfish love is an indestructible principle, and they whose souls 
are quickened by it are truly vitalized and live forever ; but sel- 
fish indifference and malice is death. ^'The Son of Man,'' said 
Jesus, ^^is come not to destroy men' s lives, but to save them." 
Nor did he come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to ful- 
fill the perfect law of love foreshadowed by them. '* For the 
law,'' says Paul in his letter to the Hebrews, *^ made nothing 
perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we 
draw nigh unto God." 

^^But," it may be asked, ^^ do not the Scriptures, both of the 
Old and New Testaments, in substance, plainly declare that 
deliverance from wrath and remission of sins are obtained mainly 
or only through the shedding of blood, i. e., the taking, or giv- 
ing up, of life, or, in other words, through vicarious suffering or 
sacrifice? Do we not read (Leviticus xvii: ii), ^ For the life 
of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the 
altar, to make an atonement for your souls : for it is the blood that 
maketh an atonement for the soul ' ? Does not Paul in his epis- 
tle to the Hebrews declare that ' without shedding of blood is no 
remission'? Does not the same apostle, in his letter to the 
Romans, utter the precious truth that ' God commendeth his 
love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died 
for us'? and that, ^ Much more then, being now justified by his 
blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him'?" We 
freely admit that the Scriptures do contain this language, and 
much more of similar import ; and that, spiritually interpreted, 
it constitutes the cardinal truth on which they stand as upon a 
rock. But there is, we believe, in the minds of many excellent 



CHRIST AS A SAVIOUR. 57 

people, much misconception as to its true meaning, and we 
believe that a correct understanding of it is of exceeding great 
importance. With a deep sense of the responsibility which its 
consideration involves, let us endeavor to ascertain; if we may, 
its full significance. 

It is assumed by many that, God having established a righteous 
law for man's observance, and God being infinite in holiness, as 
in all his attributes^ infinite, or eternal punishment, was the 
penalty attached, and due, to the violation of that law — that man 
had broken that law, and that he was in himself utterly helpless, 
and incapable of avoiding the penalty due to his transgression, 
for it is written, ^' Cursed is every one that continueth not in all 
things which are written in the book of the law to do them." 
That, nevertheless, ^'God loved the world " — that indeed ^^God 
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- 
soever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life " — that, by the sufferings and death of Christ, the demands 
of the Divine law and justice are satisfied, and believers absolved 
from guilt and saved from punishment; that such are ^* justified 
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus, who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again 
for our justification." It is affirmed that, by no amount of 
suffering on the part of man, could he obtain the pardon of his 
sins; and that as the offence was committed against the holy law 
of God, only God himself could remove the guilt and punish- 
ment by suffering in man's stead ; that therefore Christ Jesus was 
sent into the world as the immediate offspring of God, and con- 
sequently without sin and equal with the Father ; that, being 
thus both God and man, he was competent to suffer in man's 
stead, and that complete satisfaction for the remission of sins 
that are past, is by Christ Jesus rendered unto God, by his suf- 
ferings and death upon the cross as a willing sacrifice. 

We are quite willing to admit that, considered literally, much 
of the language of Scripture relating to the death of Christ, 
justifies this interpretation ; indeed, viewed thus, we do not see 



58 DA V DA WNING. 

how any other interpretation could be given it. The words of 
Paul on this subject, in his epistle to the Hebrews, would^ con- 
sidered literally, seem to present an argument, almost, if not 
entirely, conclusive, in favor of the doctrine of expiation or 
atonement for sin by vicarious suffering. Take, for example, 
the following, '^ But Christ being come an high priest of good 
things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not 
made with hands, that is to say, not of this building : neither by 
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered 
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption 
for us. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an 
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the 
flesh ; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through 
the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge 
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ?" also 
the following : ^'but now once in the end of the world hath he 
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.'* In the 
first epistle of Peter, we read, *'Who his own self bare our sins 
in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should 
live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed. *' *'For 
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, 
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, 
but quickened by the Spirit.'* In the first epistle of John, we 
read, ^* And ye know that he was manifested to take away our 
sins, and in him is no sin." In the LIII chapter of Isaiah, 
*^ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet 
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God^ and afflicted. But 
he was wounded for our transgressions ; he was bruised for our 
iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and 
with his stripes v/e are healed." In Paul's letter to the Ro- 
mans, we read, ^*For when we were yet without strength, in 
due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous 
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would 
even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in 
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 



CHRIST AS A SAVIOUR, 59 

When we consider that the doctrine of atonement, or expia- 
tion for sins by the shedding of the blood of certain animals, is 
clearly set forth in the Old Testament, and that the sacrifices 
therein mentioned, are frequently referred to in the New Testa- 
ment, as being superseded by the one great sacrifice of Christ 
on the cross, it is not at all marvelous that systems of theology 
should have been framed in which the latter sacrifice is simply, 
or mainly, regarded as a substitute for the former sacrifices. 
How natural, and apparently reasonable the supposition, that, 
if the offering, from year to year, of the blood of calves, and goats, 
and other animals, could serve as an expiation, or atonement, 
for sin, the one offering of the God- man, Christ Jesus, should 
serve for all time, and be sufficient for the ransom or redemption 
of all people ; and on this belief, we confess, we should be dis- 
posed to rest our faith, so far as the Scripture record is con- 
cerned, were it not that other parts of the Scriptures, and the 
teachings of the Holy Spirit, give us, we believe, a better inter- 
pretation. 

The Apostle John, in his first epistle, says, '^Hereby perceive 
we the love of God, because he (i. e. Christ) laid down his life 
for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 
Peter, in his first epistle, says, ^'Servants, be subject to your 
masters with all fear ; not only to the good and gentle, but also 
to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience 
toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory 
is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it pa- 
tiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it 
patiently, this is acceptable with God. For hereunto were ye 
called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example y 
that ye should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was 
guile found in his mouth : who, when he was reviled, reviled not 
again ; when he suffered he threatened not, but committed him- 
self to him, that judgeth righteously.'* In the Apocalypse, it is 
written, ** And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is 
come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and 



60 nA V DA WNING. 

the power of his Christ ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast 
down, which accused them before our God day and night. And 
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word 
of their testimony : and they loved not their lives unto the death. * ' 
In all ages of the world, and among all nations, sacrifice of 
some sort has been deemed necessary to make satisfaction or 
atonement for offenses. In the book of Genesis, we read, ^' And 
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and 
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a 
living soul.'* Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, doubt- 
less referring to this Scripture, says, '^And so it is written, 
' The first man, Adam, was made a living soul ; the last Adam 
was made a quickening spirit. How be it that was not first 
which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that 
which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the 
second man is the Lord from heaven.' " Now as man was, at 
the first, of the earth, earthy, he, in his intercourse with his' 
fellow-man, resented wrong or violence inflicted on him, accord- 
ing to the promptings of his earthly nature, and the manner of 
many of the irrational animals which he saw around him ; his 
spiritual nature being as yet undeveloped, thus demanding suf- 
fering or sacrifice, on the part of others, for his own supposed 
benefit, for some real or imaginary wrong. Cain, the first-born 
of Adam and Eve, furnishes us with a prominent instance of 
the early manifestation of this disposition. As, however, man's 
better nature began to develop, he began to discover faults with- 
in himself, and to acknowledge a dependence on some principle 
or power higher than himself. Lifted, as yet, but little above 
that which was merely of the earth, earthy, he gave for^n to the 
power or powers from which he supposed he derived protection : 
hence the formation and worship of idols, and the offerings and 
sacrifices made to them with the hope and expectation of making, 
thereby, satisfaction or atonement for sin, and of meriting favor. 
As time rolled on, and his better nature still further developed, 
he began to have misgivings as to the power or influence of 



CHRIST AS A SAVIOUR. 61 

Stocks and stones either to remove guilt or confer good. No 
longer satisfied with bowing down before images, ^'graven 
by art and man's device," now he lifts his thoughts to the in- 
visible and uncreated Being; and, instead of worshipping gods, 
as heretofore, worships God. To some extent, he begins, also, 
to have an appreciation of God as a merciful being — as a Being 
not as severe and exacting as he supposed some of his gods had 
been. Now he is enabled to say by the mouth of Moses, the 
great law-giver of Israel, ^^The Lord ! The Lord God, merciful 
and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and trangression 
and sin." He also begins to feel that his fellow-man has rights 
which he ought to respect; hence, through this same distin- 
guished law-giver, he says, '' Thou shalt not hate thy brother in 
thine heart ; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not 
suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge 
against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neigh- 
bor as thyself: I am the Lord. ' ' Nevertheless the idea of the ne- 
cessity of sacrifice, in some form, as an expiation or atonement 
for sin still continued, but now, instead of seeking the favor of 
the gods, his offerings generally, in Israel, were made to God 
alone. And, although, in the Mosaic dispensation, the standard of 
'^ Holiness to the Lord " was set up, the worshipper in Israel 
still felt that he must come before the Lord with offerings, and 
blood of sacrifice. The Mosaic dispensation abounds with direc- 
tions concerning offerings and sacrifices ; and their frequent and 
continued observance must indeed have been tedious, burdensome 
and even painful. Still, rising in the knowledge of divine things, 
the time arrived when he was enabled to say, by the mouth of the 
Psalmist, '' Many, O Lord my God, are thy w^onderful works 
which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward : 
they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: I would de- 
clare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." 
Now he begins to feel the cravings of a still higher and better na- 
ture which, under God, has developed within him, and he ex- 



62 DA Y DA WNING. 

claims, ** Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: mine ears 
hast thou opened : burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not 
required. Then said I, Lo, I come ; in the volume of the book 
it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy 
law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great 
congregation: lo, 1 have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou 
knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I 
have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation ; I have not con- 
cealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congre- 
gation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord : 
let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.'' 
*' Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit 
within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not 
thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salva- 
tion, and uphold me with thy free spirit." '* O Lord, open thou 
my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou 
desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give it : thou delightest not in 
burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a bro- 
ken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." In the 
same spirit the prophet Micah, to whose words we have already 
referred, exclaims, ^^ Wherewith shall I come before the Lord^ and 
bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with 
burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be 
pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of 
oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of 
my body for the sin of my soul ? He hath shewed thee, O man, 
what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do 
justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ? " At 
last, in the fuller and better understanding of the spirit and power 
of God, it was discovered that these offerings and sacrifices were 
but foreshadowings of the only sacrifice which is perfectly accept- 
able and well pleasing in his sight, namely, the sacrifice of self; 
or in other words, the sacrifice of all those selfish and hateful dis- 
positions that are calculated to work ill to any of our fellow-beings. 
It was in this spirit that Christ Jesus came '^to put away sin by the 



CHRIST AS A SA VIOUR. 63 

sacrifice of himself ^ Having within him that spirit which 
^^ worketh no ill to his neighbor," he meekly suffered death at 
the hands of his enemies, rather than inflict suffering and death 
upon them ; thus, as we have seen, not only sparing their natural 
lives, but opening up, by his merciful example, the way for their 
eternal salvation. Self, or selfishness^ that disposition which 
predominated in man when he was, as yet, mainly of the earth, 
earthy ; selfishness, which finds its fitting counterpart in the na- 
ture of the animals which were offered up on altars of sacrifice 
to make atonement for man's transgressions; self, or selfishness, 
is now to be offered up, and man to become, experimentally, 
^^holy^ harmless," and free from any selfish or corrupt desire. 
Living or dying, selfishness is to be crucified ; every thing which 
is opposed to the real good of ourselves and others, is to be slain : 
hence says Paul, in his letter to the Romans, ^^I beseech you 
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your 
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is 
your reasonable service." As our Great Father is constantly 
benefitting us, showering his blessings not only upon the just, but 
upon the unjust as well, we also should take pleasure in promot- 
ing the happiness of our fellow-beings, let the cost or sacrifice to 
ourself or selfishness be what it may, especially, as we can give 
him nothing in return for his loving kindness toward us except 
our obedience, gratitude and love. To take pleasure in doing 
good, as he takes pleasure in doing good, is certainly, therefore, 
our reasonable service. The true atonement is to be crucified 
with Christ ; and it is not well to depend for happiness, either 
here or hereafter, upon the belief or supposition, that Jesus of 
Nazareth was crucified as an expiation for sin, some eighteen 
hundred years ago. Sin must now be put away, as it was then put 
away, by the exercise of that spirit of love toward others, which 
enables the believer to bear patiently, and even cheerfully, any 
sacrifice of self or selfishness that circumstances may require. 
Even life itself should not be counted dear in comparison with 
the possession of that spirit which worketh no ill to his neighbor. 



64 i:>A V DA WNING. 

'* For hereunto," says the apostle Peter, ^^ were ye called : because 
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should 
follow his steps.*' We should, for love's sake, be willing to suf- 
fer for our fellow-men, as Christ Jesus of Nazareth suffered for 
all men; as '^he laid down his life for us, we ought to be willing 
to lay down our lives for the brethren : " as he came '^ to put away 
sin by the sacrifice of himself, ' ' we all ought to put away sin by 
the sacrifice of all that is selfish in ourselves. The true offering 
now is not to come into the holy place with vicarious blood, but 
to come with the sacrifice which love approves, namely, the sac- 
rifice of selfishness or self: that ^^as Christ hath suffered for us 
in the flesh," we should ''arm ourselves likewise with the same 
mind:" ^'not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but 
contrariwise blessing; knowing that we are thereunto called^ 
Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, says: ''For when Moses 
had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, 
he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water and scarlet 
wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, 
saying, this is the blood of the Testament which God hath 
enjoined unto you. Moreover, he sprinkled with blood both 
the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost 
all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shed- 
ding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that 
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with 
these ; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices 
than these." These " better sacrifices " are indicated in the 
lives of all those who take pleasure in "love, peace, long-suffer- 
ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Such, 
" having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience," and 
their "bodies" purged from the defilements of selfishness, 
malice, and all uncharitableness, and made clean as if "washed 
with pure water," being thus " crucified ^///^ Christ," do not 
need to present themselves at the altar with blood of expiatory 
sacrifice. To such, "Christ has become the end of the law" 
by his good spirit which is in them. Christ Jesus is, therefore, 



CHRIST AS A SAVIOUR, 65 

our Saviour by the power of his spirit within us, and not as an 
expiation or satisfaction for sin without, or out of, us. By his 
good spirit within us, we become dead to sin and alive to right- 
eousness, being crucified with him. By his good spirit within 
us the world is crucified unto us, and we unto the world. We 
become instruments of salvation to our fellow men, as Christ 
Jesus, in an eminent sense, was, and is, the Saviour of the world. 
In the great work of redemption, he is our ** Captain," our 
''Elder Brother," the ''Chief among ten thousand, the one 
altogether lovely." There is nothing unlovely in him, and those 
who are like him have nothing unlovely in them. They take 
pleasure in being, instrumentally, the savers of their fellow men, 
as he took pleasure in opening up the Way of Salvation for all 
who are willing to walk therein. He was, and is, " The Way, 
the Truth, and the Life." The sufferings which were endured 
by the beasts that were offered up on Jewish altars as sacrifices 
for sin, were typical of those sufferings — those " better sacrifices" 
— which we must be willing, cheerfully, to bear or endure in our 
own bodies in the love of doing good, and in the love of over- 
coming evil with good. The blood of animals, and water^ puri- 
fied the Jews, at least from their outward uncleanness ; the love 
of righteousness must cleanse us, if we would desire to be purified 
from defilement of spirit. As Christ Jesus was the Son of God, 
so, also, " as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the 
sons of God." " For," says Paul in his letter to the Romans, 
" ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but 
ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, 
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that 
we are the children of God : and if children, then heirs ; heirs of 
God, and joint-heirs with Christ ; if so be that we suffer with him, 
that we may be also glorified together." 

"But did not Christ come 'to give his life a ransom for 
many ' ? " True ; but in the love of overcoming evil with good, 
we also will be willing " to lay down our lives for the brethren ; " 
thus crucifying our own selfishness and malice, instead of injur- 



66 DA V DA WNING, 

ing or destroying our fellow-men — losing our own natural lives, 
as he lost his, that theirs may be saved : and that they too, 
through his example and ours, may, if willing, become quick- 
ened by the Spirit of God, and also have eternal life abiding in 
them. ^^ Let your light so shine before men,'' says Jesus, *' that 
they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is 
in heaven." Benevolence and love is life : selfishness and hate 
is death. ^^ We know that we have passed from death unto life," 
says the beloved John, '^ because we love the brethren. He that 
loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his 
brother is a murderer : and ye know that no murderer hath 
eternal life abiding in him." 

It may be said that the general drift of this argument is in 
favor of the doctrine of salvation through good works, but that 
the Scriptures plainly teach us that those who are saved are saved by 
the grace of God alone. Such Scripture, as the following, is 
quoted, '^ For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not 
of yourselves ; it is the gift of God : not of works lest any man 
should boast." Again, ''' Who hath saved us, and called us with 
an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his 
own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before 
the world began." Much other Scripture could be quoted in 
which the doctrine of salvation by grace is well sustained. But 
what is grace ? Any one looking into a large dictionary for the 
definition of the word *^ grace " will find that it has several, if 
not many, shades of meaning. The following are some of them, 
and doubtless the better ones, namely: ^* good-will; kindness; 
disposition to oblige another ; the free, unmerited love and favor 
of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive 
from him ; favorable influence of God ; divine influence, or the 
influence of the Spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining 
from sin; mercy; pardon." If these definitions are correct, it 
is evident that grace is a quality which can be exercised by man, 
the child, as well as by God, the Father, and in the expression, 
'' by grace ye are saved," we have simply the statement that by 



CHRIST AS A SA VIOUR, 67 

the good-will and kindness of God toward us, and by the exer- 
cise of the same spirit, on our part, toward all our fellow men, 
we are saved. The English language abounds in words, and so 
many shades of meaning are frequently attached to the same 
word that the best signification is not always chosen : especially 
is this the case where the intent or idea of the speaker or author 
is not clearly perceived. Take the word 'Hove," for instance; 
a word in common use, and probably the best one in all the lan- 
guage — certainly so as used to describe the disposition of our 
Great Father and the manifestations of his Spirit — and yet how 
many, and almost opposite significations, are frequently given to 
this word. GocT s love is, doubtless, pure benevolence, or dis- 
interested good will ; while the love which exists between human 
beings, and especially between the sexes, is defined to be a com- 
pound affection, consisting of esteem, benevolence, and animal 
desire. These three qualities, or forms of the passion harmoni- 
ously united in them, are doubtless well calculated to insure to 
human beings the greatest amount of rational happiness; nor can 
either of these qualities be disregarded by man without loss or dis- 
advantage. If esteem only be cultivated, the individual, although 
reverential, will be precise, formal, undemonstrative, and compara- 
tively unsympathetic. This may be termed the polite or platonic 
form of love. If benevolence only is regarded as of any value, the 
man will be likely to neglect himself wholly, and in some respects 
unnecessarily, for the benefit of others ; appropriating to himself 
none of those enjoyments which are kindly intended for the bene- 
fit of all. Indifferent to every thing, except the desire to do good 
to others, personal advantage, comfort, or happiness, will be quite 
overlooked, if not entirely disregarded. Even cleanliness — by 
some considered next to godliness — will run the risk of being neg- 
lected, as one of the devices of the ^* evil-one ; '* as tending to 
divert the thoughts too much to the consideration of one's-self. 
While love, as thus manifested must, we think, be considered di- 
vine, it nevertheless ought not, we believe, to be considered less 
so when associated with all that can give rational enjoyment either 



68 DA V DA WNING. 

to ourselves or others. If this earth of ours was intended to be 
a Garden of Eden, that is, a garden of pleasure or delight, sure- 
ly the divine, and all that is rationally enjoyable in the human, 
ought to be, and eventually, we believe, will be in perfect har- 
mony. As yet, however, the world is largely, if not mainly, in- 
fluenced by the promptings of that other element of love, namely, 
animal desire. Manifested in this form simply, love sometimes, 
exhibits itself in a manner quite opposed to the spirit of benevo- 
lence or even of esteem. Impelled by the irrational promptings of 
this form of the passion or affection, lovers will sometimes dis- 
regard the counsel of wise and valued friends and relatives, and 
rush wildly on to disgrace and ruin, apparently reckless of con- 
sequences. The love of money is sometimes cherished to such 
an extent, that the claims of benevolence and esteem, seem quite 
neglected. Even love of country, a feeling worthy to 1:)e highly 
prized and cultivated, does not always result in calling forth the 
highest and best manifestations of this passion ; for, while the 
citizen or soldier may regard his fellow-citizen, or fellow-soldier 
with feelings of kindness, or even of strong attachment, these 
feelings will sometimes be associated with those of indifference or 
even of resentment toward the people of another country. The 
love of a mother for her young children, or of irrational animals 
for their young, will at once call forth manifestations of the strong- 
est affection for them, and, frequently, of bitter hate toward those 
who would capture them, or seek their destruction. Thus it will 
be seen that *'love'' — that charming word — has several, and 
quite distinct, shades of meaning. How important that we should 
try to understand, and extract from them, that which shall secure 
the happiness, and highest good of all ! 

To the suggestion that our religion is one wherein salvation 
is sought through the medium of good works, we reply, that we 
believe salvation is not, necessarily, the result either of doing 
good, or of overcoming evil with good. We do believe, how- 
ever, that salvation is the invariable result of perseverance in 
the love of doing good, and in the love of overcoming evil with 



WHO SHALL BE SA VED ? 69 

good. Simply doing what is claimed to be, or supposed to be 
right, will not of itself, necessarily, save us. It is the love of 
righteousness that gives the best assurance of salvation. This 
alone will exalt the believer, in the kingdom of God and of his 
Christ. Says the Psalmist, ' ' Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest 
wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with 
the oil of gladness above thy fellows.*' 



VIII. 
WHO SHALL BE SAVED? 

TO the question, ''Will those, only, be saved, who take pleas^ 
ure in doing good and in overcoming evil with good?*' 
we reply, that we can have no definite knowledge respecting the 
future, either with regard to ourselves or others, for the reason that 
such knowledge would, necessarily, mar our happiness in some 
degree for the present. If we could know, by a knowledge of 
particulars, wherein our near future would be more enjoyable 
than the present hour, we should be dissatisfied with the present, 
and, on reaching the point of realization, would again be dis- 
satisfied upon the further revelation of particulars of still greater 
enjoyments yet to come. If we could know, on the other hand, 
wherein the particular circumstances of any part of our future life 
were to be less enjoyable than those of the present, we should 
dread to meet them, and so our happiness for the present would, 
in that case also, be diminished. The knowledge of the exact 
particulars of what will occur to us, even for to-morrow, would 
in some degree be likely to diminish our happiness for to-day. 
It would therefore not be profitable for us to know by whom, or 
to what extent, salvation will, or may, be positively secured. 






70 DA V DA WNING. 



Who can tell how far the germ of a human lif<^ must be developed, 
before, in the Divine Economy, it is regarded as constituting an 
individual ? Who can tell how far a soul must be purged of sin 
before it is, by the Divine Being, considered fit for immortality ? 
What lack of goodness will result in destruction ? What modicum 
of goodness will save from eternal death ? These are questions 
we cannot answer. If we could know that indifferent efforts in 
the direction of goodness would with certainty, eventually save 
us, only such efforts would probably, as a rule, be made; and in 
many cases, especially among the unenlightened, total neglect, 
and the eventual destruction of souls might ensue. It is mainly 
on this account, we believe, that a knowledge of even the probable 
particulars that would be sufficient to save us is not clearly re- 
vealed. 

Of one thing, we think, we may be assured, and that is, that 
blest charity or love, is calculated to secure to us a far greater 
amount of happiness than any thing else, either here or hereafter; 
and that it is the best basis on which to build our faith and hope. 
It is true, the apostle James appears to give prominence to good 
works where he says, '^ Shew me thy faith without thy works, and 
I will shew thee my faith by my works. ' ' But we believe that both 
faith and works are brought into best exercise when inspired by 
disinterested love. Attempts have been made at different times by 
w^ell disposed persons, taking certain interpretations of the Scrip- 
tures as their guide, to draw imaginary maps delineating human 
destiny. Some have represented the way of evil-doers as a broad 
road, terminating in a lake of fire and brimstone, in which lake 
untold torments shall by them be eternally endured; others have 
represented the way of evil-doers as ending in a place where the 
tortures of the mind shall chiefly characterize their sufferings — 
sufferings so great that the representation of the body burning in fire 
and brimstone can only adequately describe their terrible agony. 
Others, that the broad road of the wicked leads into a lake of 
perdition, in which by fire, or by some other means of destruction, 
both soul and body shall be annihilated. Others hold the belief 



WHO SHALL BE SA VED ? 71 

that, to all, death is but an eternal sleep. All agree that an earn- 
est desire to imitate, as far as possible, the divine benevolence, 
secures the greatest amount of happiness in this world, and that 
it is the best foundation for hope of happiness in the world to 
come. Some believe in the doctrine of the final restitution of 
all things — that the work of redemption from all evil and error, 
will go on until man shall be restored to his original sinlessness; 
and that all men will, eventually, be saved. Each quotes, for 
authority, the scripture best suited to the belief he entertains, or 
in which he has been educated. One man will refer you to the 
scripture which says that '^ God hath created one vessel to honor 
and another to dishonor," and argue from it, that God has pre- 
destinated eternal happiness, or life, to some, and eternal misery, 
or death, to others. Another will quote that *Mie that soweth to 
the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; '' and will argue that 
such an one perishes, like any other perishable thing, and ceases 
to exist — and that only *Mie who soweth to the Spirit shall, of the 
Spirit, reap life everlasting. ' ' The language, ^^ where their worm 
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched," is construed by one as 
sustaining the doctrine of endless torments for the wicked; by 
another that the destroying worm dieth not, but that it ever liveth 
to consume or destroy the wicked — that these words relate not 
to the continued existence of the wicked, but to the continued 
existence of the destroying worm, and the unquenched or un- 
quenchable fire, which are ever kept alive for the very purpose 
of destroying or annihilating all that remains of the wicked — that 
therefore the destroying worm is called their worm, (i. e., the 
w^orm w4iich destroys the wicked) because over the righteous it 
has no power. One man readily finds in the Scripture account 
of the rich man and Lazarus, the doctrine of eternal happiness 
for the good, and of eternal misery for the bad; whilst another 
regards it as a parable, which, not referring to the distant future, 
is given to describe the happiness of the one, and the wretched- 
ness of the other, at the close of life, and especially at the time 
or in the hour and article of death. One man finds the doctrine 



72 DA Y DA WNING. 

of universal salvation in the language, ^' As in Adam all die, even 
so in Christ shall all be made alive/' whilst another finds his be- 
lief in the doctrine of future rewards and punishments strengthened 
by the words, ^^ And these (the wicked or unrighteous) shall go 
away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life 
eternal." One man declares that ''life eternaV^ will be the re- 
ward of the good, and that eternal death or annihilation will be the 
end of the bad : that the words everlasting punishment, mean 
everlasting banishment from life, and, of course, from its actual 
and possible enjoyments — that in fact, death eternal or annihila- 
tion, is the only exact correlative of life etei^nal. 

Some, as we have said, believe that the wicked shall be de- 
stroyed, or suffer eternally in a lake of fire and brimstone ; others, 
that the righteous shall not be destroyed, but that their work shall 
nevertheless be also subjected to the test of fire: and to sustain 
this point, quote from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, to 
wit: ^^ Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day 
shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire 
shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work 
abide which he hath built thereupon, (i. e., on the foundation 
Christ Jesus,) he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall 
be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved ; yet 
so as by fire." One man quotes the Scripture which says, that 
^'The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many; " and, 
at least, infers that all are not included in what is called ^Uhe 
plan of salvation; " another quotes, that ^^For the suftering of 
death, Jesus was crowned with glory and honor; that he, by the 
grace of God, should taste death for every man; " and infers that 
all will be included, at least, finally, in the great salvation. One 
man believes or supposes that sinners may lose all sense or ap- 
preciation of goodness, and become reprobate ; whilst another 
quotes, that '' Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white 
as snow ; though they be red' like crimson, they shall be as wool." 

For the reasons we have given, we believe that the future, as 
to its particulars, has never been revealed to finite beings, and we 



WHO SHALL BE SA VED ? 73 

believe, never will be ; and although in every true soul there is 
an unfaltering faith that right will eventually accomplish a per- 
fect victory, and that certain agencies, under God, will be per- 
mitted to assist in gaining it, and that there is immortality, at 
least, for the righteous ; yet the precise manner in which those 
agencies shall be employed, and the time when God's law of 
righteousness shall be perfectly fulfilled, or any other particulars 
relating to^human destiny, we believe are not, and will not be 
foreknown by finite beings. We therefore regard all contentious 
controversy, on the subject of human destiny, as unwise and un- 
profitable. The apostle Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, 
says, '^ Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them 
that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and un- 
learned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes." 
In his letter to Titus, he says : ^' But avoid foolish questions, and 
genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for 
they are unprofitable and vain.'' And we believe that strife or 
contentious controversy on any subject, the proofs of which can- 
not, in our finite state, be made demonstrable, must necessa- 
rily be unprofitable. Wisdom would seem to suggest that we 
should be charitable in all things, and especially with regard to 
differences of opinion that may be entertained on questions that 
are not susceptible of demonstration or positive proof. On the 
subject of the progress and destiny of man, it is probable that the 
opinions of the believers in universal salvation, known as Restora- 
tionists, are as correct, or perhaps more nearly correct than any 
other ; nevertheless, we regard their views, and all others that 
may be entertained on this subject, as, to a great extent, at least, 
necessarily theoretical or speculative. In considering the subject 
of God's purposes toward us, we believe it is well for us to com- 
pare our Great Father with our earthly parents : if they take pleas- 
ure in promoting our good, we may be assured he is the Infinite 
Goodness ; if they are kind and forbearing, he is full of loving 
kindness and tender mercy; if they w^atched over us in our 
infancy and youth, and unfolded facts to our minds as we were 

D 



74 DA Y DA WNING. 

able to comprehend them, he will, eventually, as we are able to 
bear the increasing light, lead us into the way of all truth. 

In the course of his ministry, Jesus replied to the interrogatories 
of his questioners by giving them, in some instances, indirect an- 
swers. On one occasion the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto 
him a woman who, according to the terms of the Mosaic law, was 
guilty of a capital offence, ^^ Now Moses in the law/' said her 
accusers, ^^ commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what 
sayest thou? This they said tempting him, that they might have 
to accuse him.'' Knowing their craftiness, Jesus did not oppose, 
in that instance, the execution even of this severe mandate of the 
law; but, to effect his merciful purpose respecting the woman, 
simply said, '^ He that is without sin among you, let him cast 
the first stone at her." 

On another occasion the Pharisees sent unto him representa- 
tives of their church, and also of the civil power, who sought to 
entangle him in his talk. '' Master," said they, *^we know that 
thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither 
carest thou for any man ; for thou- regardest not the person of 
men. Tell us therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give 
tribute unto Cesar, or not?" His answer then, though like- 
wise indirect, defeated also the purpose of his questioners. Be- 
ing shown a coin bearing the image and superscription of Cesar, 
he said : '^ Render unto Cesar the things which are Cesar's, and 
unto God the things that are God's." 

At another time he was asked, ^^Lord, are there few that be 
saved ? " Then, too, his answer was indirect. He did not say 
whether few, or many, or all, would be saved ; but he did say, 
^^ Strive to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, 
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." It is as though he 
had said, ^^ Strive to enter in at the narrow or strait gate: for 
many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and because of ig- 
norance, inexperience, weaknesses, and worldly hindrances, shall 
not be able." '^ Enter ye in," says Jesus, '' at the strait gate : 
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to de- i 



THE HOL Y TRINITY, 75 

struction, and many there be which go in thereat : because strait 
is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life ; and 
few there be that find it.'' 

The question of ^^ Who shall be saved? " belongs to that class 
of questions whose complete comprehension by man, would not, 
we believe, be profitable to him, at least in his earthly state. 
Whatever may be our theories or speculations concerning it, of 
one thing, however, we may be assured, and that is, that only 
the ^^ narrow way " is free from peril. The ^^ broad way '' is, at 
least, a dangerous one. Let us all, therefore, divest ourselves, 
as far as possible, of every worldly weight or hindrance, and 
^^ strive to enter in at the strait gate." 



IX. 
THE HOLY TRINITY. 



WE will now present what we believe to be the rational 
interpretation of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity — of 
the doctrine that there are three persons in one God, viz : the 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The discussion of this subject has 
greatly disturbed, if not distracted, the Christian world for many 
centuries, and we introduce it here not with any desire for con- 
troversy, but because we think a right or intelligent understand- 
ing of it, and of the subjects of Mediation and Redemption with 
which it is generally regarded as inseparably connected, would 
tend to promote charity and harmony between all those who, 
in any way, profess to be governed by christian principles. We 
might perhaps, with profit, consider particularly, the trinity that 
subsists between things purely natural, such, for instance, as earth, 
air, and water, popularly known as the three great elements, 



76 ^AV DA WNING, 

which elements are the chief constituents of the globe on which 
we live; or the fact that, if either of these elements were with- 
drawn, death would speedily visit every living thing, animate 
and inanimate; and that therefore only by the combination of 
the three is the unity, or the one globe, complete for all practical 
uses and purposes; and, that although these elements differ, per- 
haps in importance, they are nevertheless, to a great extent at 
least, inter-dependent; but without dwelling upon the subject of 
the importance and necessity to man of combination or unity 
among things purely natural, we shall proceed at once to give 
what we believe to be the rational interpretation of the doctrine 
that there are three persons in one God. 

It is evident that man is constituted of three distinct principles 
or conditions, to wit: body, soul, and spirit; or in other words^ 
of body, life, and intellect ; and that, although these differ in 
dignity or importance, each is required in its proper place in or- 
der that the human being may be complete. Without the body, 
man could not be, at least, an earthly being; without life, both 
body and spirit would be dormant; and without intellect or in- 
telligence, man would sink to the level of the brute. What the 
body lacks in dignity, as being lowest in the scale of human ex- 
istence, it makes up in importance as the medium through which 
the soul and spirit are manifested : what the life or soul lacks of 
interest, in and by itself, or in connection with the body only, 
is supplied by the charms which the intellect affords : so that there 
is no schism in the body, the human being consisting of a trinity 
in unity — a harmonious three in one. 

When we consider the Universe, of which it has been said that 
man is the epitome, it seems evident that a trinity of conditions 
is necessary to secure the happiness of, at least, finite beings, to 
wit : Matter, Life, and a Supreme Intelligence. Without matter 
or materiality man could not be an earthly being; without life 
all his faculties, as we have said, would be dormant ; and without 
a Supreme Intelligence all would be chaos. 

Still further, when we contemplate the Supreme Intelligence 



THE HOL V TRINITY, 77 

alone, we feel assured that the Infinite Mind conducts his gov- 
ernment, mainly, through a Trinity of Attributes, to wit : Infi- 
nite Knowledge, Infinite Power, and Infinite Love. It may seem 
presumptuous, and even impious, for a finite being, to attempt 
anything like a critical analysis of the attributes of Deity; but, 
having the testimony of the beloved disciple John, that ^^ every 
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God,*' and feeling 
fully convinced that our Great Father delights in nothing more 
than in having us in closest fellowship with him, and that it is 
his joy to lavish upon us the rich treasures of wisdom and knowl- 
edge, as we are able to receive and use them profitably, we feel 
that even in this he has vouchsafed us the privilege of knowing 
him, and shall proceed, reverently we trust, to consider the At- 
tributes of the Supreme Mind^ as we believe they are related to 
each other. 

In order that we may present our views on this subject with 
some degree of clearness, we will, for the sake of argument, sup- 
pose, what of course is impossible, that God could lack in either 
Infinite Knowledge, Infinite Power, or Infinite Love. Without 
Infinite Knowledge, it is evident that the power and love of God 
could not be intelligently exercised and dispensed ; without Infi- 
nite Power the knowledge and love of God would be inefficient 
for purposes of universal control, and without Infinite Love, (we 
speak it reverently) even Infinite Knowledge and Infinite Power 
would be without practical value. Love is the all-inspiring 
principle, even of the Infinite God himself. It 

'* Warms in the sun; refreshes in the breeze; 
Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees ; 
Lives through all life ; extends through all extent ; 
Spreads undivided; operates unspent.'* 

Indeed, we believe, if it were possible to take from God his 
darling attribute of Love — his love of conferring happiness upon 
intelligent beings, and his love of redeeming the unfortunate and 
fallen among them from all evil — that even the Supreme Being 
himself would, under such circumstances, find the care of his 



78 DA Y DA WNING. 

Universal Realm uninteresting and unenjoyable; and that rather 
than live for the sake of knowledge and power only, He would 
consign the Universe to chaos, and himself to a state of everlast- 
ing forgetfulness. 

In reading the Scriptures we find in them such expressions as, 
^' God is light/' and '' God is love " — language which, at first 
sight, seems altogether too feeble and limited to properly des- 
cribe him '' whom the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot 
contain ; ' ' yet, when we consider the great importance of light, 
as well to the world of matter as of mind, and the far greater 
importance and value of love to both^ and that without love, as 
we have seen, all things else are of but little worth, we do not 
wonder that the beloved disciple, in describing the Divine Being, 
instead of saying, God is omnipotence, omniscience, omnipres- 
ence, and love, should simply say, '' God is love;*' thereby im- 
plying that all the other attributes of God are efficient for good, 
only as they are directed by love alone. Knowledge and power 
alone have in themselves no enduring attractions; but love is 
always attractive and inspiring : hence, as we have said, love is 
life; selfishness and hate is death. Love is the I AM of God; 
the permanent principle ; which ''was in the beginnings is now, and 
ever shall be^ world without end^ It is both root and branchy 
both cause and effect, Alpha and Omega, the beginni7ig and the 
end, the first a?id the last. We believe we do not err in saying, 
that the description of the excellence of the Divine Wisdom, so 
beautifully set forth in the Proverbs of Solomon, is in reality a 
description of the excellence and attractiveness of the Divine 
Attribute of Love. In other words, we believe that Infinite 
Wisdom and Infinite Love are substantially one and the same. 
'' The Lord possessed me/' says Wisdom, ^'in the beginning of 
his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, 
from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no 
depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains 
abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before 
the hills, was I brought forth : while as yet he had not made the 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 79- 

earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 
When he prepared the heavens, I was there; when he set a com- 
pass upon the face of the depth : when he established the clouds 
above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: when he 
gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his 
commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 
then I was by him, as one brought up with him : and I was dail)r 
his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habita- 
ble part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of 
men.'' ^^ Whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour 
of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own 
soul : all they that hate me love death." 

It will be observed that Divine Wisdom or Divine Love, is 
here represented under the figure of a person, and speaks of, and 
for itself, as existing with, and yet as being a distinct attribute of 
God. It is called, by many, the Holy Spirit, or the Third Person 
in the Holy Trinity. 

Clearly, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our Elder Brother, was a 
person. He is frequently denominated the Second Person in the 
Holy Trinity. God our father is adored by many as the First 
Person in the Holy Trinity. The apostle Paul, in his epistle to 
the Hebrews, speaking of Christ, represents him (Christ) as be- 
ing the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image 
of his person. We have therefore, at least, Paul's authority for 
speaking of God our Father as a person. We thus have the 
Trinity of trinities — the Holy Trinity; which the larger part of 
the Christian world devoutly worships and adores, though with 
an apprehension respecting it not often very definite. Spiritually 
considered, we can see no objection whatever to the cordial ac- 
ceptation of the doctrine that there is one God in three persons; 
for although God is One — the Holy One — that inhabiteth eter- 
nity, and we can neither add to, nor diminish, any of his at- 
tributes; yet, as he delights in fellowship, it is not difficult, we 
think, to perceive how the Son and Holy Spirit were and are 



80 r^A Y DA WNING. 

united with him as equals, in all that constitutes true glory and 
pre-eminence. In our view the Holy Trinity consists of 

God the Father, the Source of all things, whose vital attribute 
is love, 

Jesus Christ the Son, Immanuel; or perfect love made mani- 
fest in the flesh. 

The Holy Spirit, or The Divine Disposition, which is pure 
unselfish love. 
These Three are One — one in the love of doing good, and in the 
love of overcoming evil with good. 

^'But,'* it may be asked, ^^did not Christ Jesus confess that 
God was superior to him in knowledge, when speaking of certain 
things which were to come, he said, ^But of that day and that 
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, 
neither the Son, but the Father?* How then is he his equal? 
And further does he not admit his inferiority to God in greatness 
and power, where he says, ^My Father is greater than I*?'' 
True, but we have seen that both knowledge and power are of 
no practical and enduring value of or in themselves alone. We 
have seen that Divine or unselfish love is the only quality or 
principle which is vital, either in God or man. Knowledge and 
Physical Force or Power exist only in quantity, and in themselves 
are neither good nor bad ; whereas love is a principle or quality 
which far transcends in excellence every other principle or quality, 
and may be as pure in man as it is in God himself. If then the 
love of Christ Jesus toward God and man, was, and is, as pure as 
the love of God toward Christ and the whole world, and we verily 
believe it was and is, it follows that Christ is the equal of God 
the Father in that which even in God himself is highest in excel- 
lence and pre-eminence. Equality in that which is highest and 
best, is certainly true equality. 

We will endeavor to illustrate this point of our argument by 
reference to familiar things. It is well known that, as a rule, 
the horse has far greater bulk and physical strength than man ; 
yet does any one concede that the horse, as a creature, is the equal 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 81 

of man ? Man's intelligence directs and controls the strength of 
the horse, and therefore man, though physically the weaker, is, 
practically, the stronger of the two. All the great mechanical 
powers or forces lie dormant until intelligence awakens them into 
activity. Which is, practically, the stronger, these inert powers 
or the intelligence which summons them to action? In spiritual 
things also, which is the more attractive and, practically, the 
more potent, love on the one hand, or knowledge and power on 
the other ? It must be conceded that Divine love is the vital 
and all-prevailing principle. Indeed this principle so far tran- 
scends all others in potency that even where knowledge and 
physical strength are weak or limited in any individual, if love 
abide with him, he is mightier than those who, without it, are 
still able to remove mountains and to speak with the tongues of 
angels and of men. Worldly wisdom and prudence only are of 
but little value in comparison with the love even of a lisping 
babe. Said Jesus: *' I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven 
and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and 
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so. Father: 
for so it seemed good in thy sight." To the learned and sophis- 
tical Greeks, the doctrine that disinterested love could overcome 
all evil^ was foolishness : and although this doctrine of dis- 
interested good-will is taught in the writings of the Jews, and 
particularly in those of the Jewish prophets, even the Jews gen- 
erally failed to recognize its real value. Instead of regarding the 
Divine Principle of love as the Rock of Ages, many of them, 
although well informed, regarded it with comparative indiffer- 
ence, and were offended when Christ and the Apostles declared 
that God had laid it in Zion for a sure foundatio?i — a precious 
corner-stone. ''The foolishness of God," says Paul, ''is wiser 
than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." 
We hence conclude that, while intelligence is practically superior 
to physical power or force, love is practically far more attractive 
and potent than either or both; and that, ultimately. Divine love 
will obtain complete control. 

/ 



82 DA V DA WNING, 

To the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, as interpreted by lis, the 
objection may be raised that, if it proves anything, it proves too 
much — that if the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one chiefly 
in and through love, this oneness or unity may be extended so as 
to include all persons who dwell in love ; and that, therefore, in 
this view, God cannot properly be considered as one God in 
three persons only. We acknowledge the difficulty of attempt- 
ing to reply to this objection in such a manner as to make our- 
selves clearly understood. Rather than present simply our own 
convictions on this subject, we prefer, for the most part, to use 
the words of him *^ who spake as never man spake," and of those 
who were inspired by and through him, and hope, thus author- 
ized and assisted, to come to a correct conclusion concerning it. 

In the course of progress and development, it is worthy of note 
that, in every department of creation, one individual or specimen 
usually has pre-eminence. Among the fruits, for instance, there 
are some which are considered superior to all others of their 
kind, and among these there is usually a single specimen more 
highly prized than any other. Some of the fruits develop early, 
one specimen reaching perfection before the rest. Among ani- 
mals there are those which are valued for their freedom from 
faults or imperfections, one of the number usually excelling all 
the others in this respect. Some are valued for their fleetness, 
one of them outstripping all his fellows. Among men, one indi- 
vidual is usually pre-eminent for his attainments in some branch 
of science, art or literature; another excels in husbandry, and 
another in the dreadful art of war. Indeed, in every sphere of 
life or action, there is usually one individual that leads or con- 
trols. So also in spiritual things we have seen that there is One 
who was and is pre-eminent — that the seed of the Spirit of God, 
sown in the hearts of men from the beginning, came to full per- 
fection first in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth — that there- 
fore, he was called the first, or only begotten. Son of God. We 
shall now endeavor to show that, although many others, since 
Christ's advent, have been born of the Spirit, and are therefore 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 83 

also the sons of God, he, in an eminent sense, is worthy to be 
called The Son of God, and to be glorified as the Second Person 
in the Adorable Trinity. And first we will say that the order in 
which the Holy Three are named, as the First, Second, and Third 
Persons in the Holy Trinity, does not, we believe, imply the 
existence of any substantial or essential inequality between them, 
but only indicates the periods or points of time in which their 
existence was respectively recognized or appreciated by man. 
At first, God was worshipped chiefly for his greatness and power; 
next, the grace or goodness of God was fully manifested among 
men in the person of Jesus Christ, who, by his forgiveness of his 
enemies, and his perfect love toward them and all mankind, in 
life and in death, prepared the way for the coming and welcome 
of the Holy Spirit or Heavenly Comforter. 

Indeed, it seemed necessary that One should die, the just for 
the unjust, in order that the testimony, among men, of perfect 
love, might be complete ; for without such a testimony, good men 
would have had no model of perfection to whom they could look 
for encouragement and hope in their longings after a better life; 
for although the Holy Spirit has always been earnestly at work in 
the hearts of men, and in Him we live, and move, and have our 
being, and to Him we must look for perfect regeneration; yet 
His operations are so gentle and unobtrusive, that unless One 
had first perfectly manifested Him in the flesh, even unto death, 
the full measure of the goodness and love of God toward all man- 
kind would hardly have been clearly understood or appreciated 
by any. This is evident when we consider that, although more 
than eighteen hundred years have passed away since Christ was 
crucified, the power of his testimony, as an example, is even yet, 
generally, but imperfectly understood. Without such a testi- 
mony we may well imagine that darkness would still cover the 
earth, and gross darkness the people. 

We have seen that, according to the Divine Economy, man is 
at first, in all things, necessarily, influenced through the medium 



84 DA Y DA WNING. 

of his senses: not that the Spirit of God is ever lacking at any 
time, or any where, in His influence and power. It is the joy of 
our Great Father to plant, water, and give the abundant increase : 
but He is not willing to deprive any of His children of the hap- 
piness they also derive from planting and tilling in the garden 
of the Lord. In all His labor, as well in the spiritual, as in the 
world of natural things. He delights in the fellowship and loving 
co-operation of His children. For this reason He determined 
that even the redemption and salvation of man should be wrought 
through man — that as the first man was, necessarily, of the earth, 
earthy, and therefore ignorant, and knowing that through ignor- 
ance he would be constantly liable to the commission of errors 
or mistakes, into some or all of which he would be quite sure to 
fall; and that these, unless arrested, would ultimately lead to the 
loss or disadvantage of both soul and body; so the darkness of 
ignorance should be dispelled, all errors and damage be corrected 
and repaired, and all evil overcome by, and through, the testi- 
mony and example of the Second Man — through him whom the 
Father should sanctify and send into the world. 

To the suggestion that, according to our doctrine, two or more 
persons could, in the beginning, have borne this perfect testi- 
mony, simultaneously, we reply : that, while we suppose that 
might have been possible, it would, nevertheless, we believe, 
have been inconsistent with the plan established in this regard 
by Divine Goodness for the happiness of man. We have seen 
that, according to this plan, one becomes a leader, and that oth- 
ers follow. The wisdom of this provision, as it relates to man, 
doubtless, lies mainly in the fact that, as a rule, discord is thereby 
prevented. Without a head or chief, any collection or body of 
men would be quite at a loss as to the proper regulation of its 
affairs, and fall into a state of confusion. As in the case of each 
individual, the head directs all the other members of the body, 
so, in every community, there is usually one that has a control- 
ling influence. Where two or more persons undertake, especially 



THE HOL Y TRINITY. 85 

in worldly matters, to exercise power or influence simultaneously, 
a conflict between them not unfrequently ensues, and the com- 
munity suffers. 

We admit that this argument does not apply, in all its bearings, 
to the great work of man's redemption and salvation. There Di- 
vine love was, and is the all-inspiring principle, and no jealousies 
could have arisen, nor conflict have ensued, even if the sons, bear- 
ing the initial testimony of perfect love, had been many instead 
of the one, or only begotten. Son of God. Divine love is, in its 
very nature, the promoter of concord \ and those who appreciate 
it fully live in perfect harmony with each other, and consider it 
a matter of entire unimportance whether they occupy the position 
of leaders or the led. Nevertheless the Divine plan, with respect 
to beginnings and leaderships, was applicable even there, but 
for a reason additional to, or different from, that by which all 
things else are regulated. We believe that the testimony of per- 
fect love, and that under the severest trial, was first borne by one 
alone, not only that the Divine plan with respect to beginnings 
and leaderships might be carried out, and good order maintained, 
but also that the Divine Principle in man might be put to the 
severest possible test, and its excellence and vitality thoroughly 
proved and established. This principle in man could not, at first, 
have been completely tested except by the perfect testimony of 
one alone. If, for instance, two or more persons had, in the be- 
ginning, simultaneously borne this testimony, each by his sym- 
pathy, would have assisted in encouraging and supporting his fel- 
low or fellows, and love would have had fellowship and sympathy 
to lean upon, and so its vitality and capabilities would not have 
been subjected to a thorough trial. That there might be nothing 
wanting to prove the vitality and power of the Divine Principle 
to overcome, in man, all temptation, and to impart strength to 
weakness under the most painful and discouraging circumstances, 
even while the man, Christ Jesus, was suffering the excruciating 
agonies of the cross, on which he was to give up his life, and after 



86 DA V DA WNING. 

all his earthly friends and adherents had deserted him, and the 
weakness of human nature was tried and tempted to the last de- 
gree, even God the Father himself appeared also, for a time, to 
hide his face from him. It was in this most trying hour that 
Jesus, conscious of his perfect innocence, and with unfaltering 
faith in God, but oppressed with the sense of his utter loneliness, 
cried out, ^^Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani?" — ^'My God, my God, 
why hast thou forsaken me?" Is it any marvel that even the 
centurion exclaimed, ^* Truly, this man was the Son of God"? 
The triumph of love was complete; the perfect testimony was 
finished. 

Furthermore, if this perfect testimony had at first been borne, 
simultaneously, by two or more instead of one, their followers, 
i. e., those of limited experience, would doubtless have been 
greatly divided among themselves^ one party selecting one as a 
spiritual chief or leader, and another party selecting another. 
Even with only one chief, Jesus of Nazareth, to whose single 
example of perfect blamelessness and harmlessness all could look 
with undivided attention, and the intent of whose example, as an 
example, it would seem even difficult to misunderstand, how fre- 
quent, and often fierce, and always sad, have been the distrac- 
tions and divisions among many of those who have professed the 
Christian name. Even in the early years of the Christian Church, 
and while the testimonies of Jesus were still fresh in the memo- 
ries of many witnesses, the disposition to follow different leaders 
was even then manifested. One said, I am of Paul; and another, 
I am of Apollos ; another, I am of Cephas, and another, I am of 
Christ. The spirit of division was then, and is always, deeply to 
be deplored. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, refer- 
ring to it, says: '' Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that 
there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined 
together in the same mind and in the same judgment." Clearly, 
this unity was, is, and will be, best secured under the leadership 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 87 

of only One. That One, as we have seen, is Jesus Christ, who 
is, as Paul declares, the brightness of the Father's glory, and the 
express image of his person. 

In objection to our views concerning the testimonies of Jesus, 
it may be affirmed that the plan for the redemption and salvation 
of man was, as to the time, person, and all the particulars, pre- 
arranged and fore-determined : that indeed all things else were 
also fore-ordained, or pre-determined ; and that, therefore Jesus, 
in all that he did and suffered, was simply passive — an instrument 
in the hand of God sent to perform a certain work. That God's 
purposes, for time and eternity, were decreed even to the minutest 
details, and that Jesus could not, in any respect, have resisted 
his will. 

With respect to the future, as we have seen, all knowledge as 
to particulars is wisely withheld from us for the reason that such 
knowledge would cause us to be dissatisfied with the present, 
and necessarily constantly interfere, more or less, with our happi- 
ness. It is our Father's will^ we believe, that we should ration- 
ally enjoy the moments as they pass, and prepare ourselves for 
the proper use and enjoyment of those that are to come. As 
therefore we cannot, without prejudice to our happiness, have 
any definite knowledge of what will transpire in the future, espe- 
cially as to the particulars of it, it is obvious that none of God's 
plans for the future, as to the particulars of them, can, with profit 
to ourselves, be revealed to us. Whether, therefore, God has fore- 
ordained all the operations and events of the future, even to the 
minutest details, or whether his plans are general, and to be carried 
out through the guidance of an attending and forecasting provi- 
dence, we believe is not given to us to know. Moreover, such 
knowledge, it seems to us, could not be unmistakably imparted 
to man except in a miraculous manner ; and we have seen that 
miracles, at least as a rule, would interfere with his happiness as 
a free-agent. Furthermore, if such knowledge could be imparted 
• to man without the interposition of a miracle, it would, as we have 
seen, be unprofitable to him, and beget in him a desire for fur- 



88 DA V DA WNING. 

ther revelations of the future which would be alike unprofitable. 
Nevertheless, we believe God's plans, especially with reference to 
intelligent beings, are general : and although the world of matter 
appears to be governed or regulated by fixed laws, the general 
operations of which, and the general effect thereof, we believe, 
are foreknown, and therefore foredetermined, yet, as to the world 
of mind, the particular acts which will, in the future, be per- 
formed by and through the free-agency of man, are not, we 
believe, foreknown in detail even by God himself. 

We are aware that, in taking this last position, we shall be 
charged by some, with attempting to stand where angels fear to 
tread. It will be said that God is the Infinite One; and that, as 
such, he must, necessarily, foresee every event and thing that 
will transpire, and exist through all eternity. Doubtless this 
would be a necessity if he could not trust the influence and 
attractive power of his love to overcome evil and eventually re- 
deem the world. If God's love w^ere not eventually sufficient 
for all things, then indeed it would be important that, not only 
the world of matter, but also of mind, should be constructed so 
that every act, and event should occur according to the de- 
mands of a fixed and resistless decree. But, we believe that 
^^ death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, 
things to come, height, depth, and every other creature," will, 
eventually, yield a willing and perfect obedience to the attrac- 
tive power of God's love. As love is the very life and soul of 
God, and therefore his most cherished attribute, we believe all 
his other attributes, although they also, are infinite in extent 
or power, are nevertheless unitedly and unceasingly engaged as 
willing ministers to it: and that he has placed certain limitations 
upon them in carrying out his beneficent purposes. As the Om- 
nipotent Being, he is undoubtedly physically capable of exercising 
all those passions and dispositions which he has imparted to his 
creatures. The evangelist John, speaking of God as the Crea- 
tor, says; ^* all things were made by him, and without him was 
not anything made that was made." He, therefore, who 



THE HOL V TRINITY. ■ 89 

created the lamb with its gentleness and harmlessness, also 
created the hyena with its fierceness and intractableness ; and 
we can no more suppose that the former was ever fierce and 
cruel, than that the latter was ever docile and harmless. Clearly, 
each was created with its respective characteristics; and God, 
the Great Creator, as the Omnipotent One, must, himself, be 
physically capable of exercising the dispositions thus imparted. 
He could not have imparted those dispositions to them if he 
was, himself, physically incapable of exercising them. The 
happiness of our lives is, to a considerable extent, furnished by 
contrasts. Day is best enjoyed by contrast with night; the 
mountain with the valley; satisfaction with hunger; activity 
with rest; sunshine with shade; and even the irrational animals 
are more interesting to us in the contrasts exhibited by their 
differing dispositions and natures, than they would be if they 
were all of one temper and kind. Besides, their differing dis- 
positions serve as useful lessons. By the fierceness and inferior 
utility of blood-thirsty animals, we are taught that damage and 
loss may be expected from the cultivation of a violent temper; 
while the superior utility of the docile animals, especially those 
of the ruminant class, teach us that the best results are to be 
expected only from the cultivation of a gentle and tractable dis- 
position. 

Our Great Father is, therefore, not only the Author of all 
good, but, as the All-wise and Omnipotent One, he was, and is, 
capable of originating all those dispositions and effects which we 
denominate evils. In other words, without Him, or without his 
permission, we can do nothing. Nevertheless, we believe all 
things are intended to, eventually, conform to the influence, 
and attractive power of his love : hence, as we have said, we be- 
lieve, that, in carrying out his designs, he has placed even upon 
his other attributes certain limitations. For example, as the God 
of love, he cannot be cruel ; as the God of truth, he cannot lie ; 
as the God of order, he cannot be careless and neglectful ; as the 
God of justice, he cannot fail to fulfill all his promises, whether 



90 DA V DA WNING, 

expressed through the instrumentality of his inspired agents, or 
implied by his acts ; and if to preserve the free-agency of man 
intact, so that his likeness to him should in no sense be affected, 
God has placed limitations on his own fore-knowledge of minute 
details^ and regulates the affairs of the Universe by an attending 
or accompanying providence as to the present, and a general fore- 
cast as to the future^ he certainly has the right and the power so 
to do. To say he must foresee, and therefore determine before- 
hand every minute detail, is simply to declare that he has not the 
ability to do otherwise, and therefore, virtually, to deny his om- 
nipotence. To the Holy One, undoubtedly, belongs the right 
and the power to choose whether to foreknow minute details, or 
not to foreknow them. The limitations being self-imposed, and 
placed for the purpose of giving the fullest scope to the workings 
of his love and man's free-agency, do not, necessarily, involve, 
on the part of God, any abandonment of power. Indeed, the 
fact of his choosing not to foreknow such details would of 
itself be to us convincing evidence of the attractive, and all-pre- 
vailing power of his love, and hence of the unnecessity of deter- 
mining minute particulars beforehand. As the God of truth, as 
we have seen, he cannot lie; as the God of love, he cannot be 
cruel ; and yet his power as the Omnipotent Being is, undoubtedly 
unlimited, having the power, as the Omnipotent One, to remove 
all limitations at will. We could not, as we have said, enjoy a 
present knowledge of what all the particular details of the future 
will be, and, as we are in the image of our Great Father, the 
presumption, we think, is reasonable that even he himself could 
not — that while the workings of the World of Matter according 
to fixed laws, intended to produce certain general results, do serve 
his purposes and those of his creatures best ; he could not so enjoy 
the workings of the World of Mind. In the latter, the free and 
uncompelled progress of his offspring in all that is good, and in 
all that is calculated to promote their real happiness, unaffected 
by foreknowledge or predetermination on his part as to the mi- 
nute details of the future, and the loving care of his attending 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 91 

and forecasting providence, constitute, we believe, the chief en- 
joyment even of our Great Father himself. Briefly, we believe 
that in the world of matter the laws are fixed, and intended to work 
out certain general results, in order that intelligences may be able 
to rely implicitly upon them : but that in the World of Mind the 
particular details are not foreknown or fore-determined, in order 
that intelligences may have full scope for the exercise and enjoy- 
ment of their free-agency. 

We will endeavor to elucidate this point of our argument by 
reference toman's experience; and this we believe we have a 
right to do : for as man, as we have seen, was created in the im- 
age of God, the presumption, we think, is reasonable that, whilst 
mutually enjoying each other, both God and man also enjoy their 
existence from, substantially, the same occurrences, circumstances, 
and sources, their enjoyment diifering mainly, or only, in degree; 
man's being alloyed by imperfections, and necessarily limited or 
finite; whilst God's is pure and holy, and unlimited or infinite. 

When, for example, any well conceived project is designed to 
be set on foot by a company of men, either for private or public 
benefit, or for both; say, for instance, the construction and 
operating of a great railway ; the general facts which will tran- 
spire in connection therewith are usually foreknown and fore-de- 
termined even by man ; while the minute details thereof are 
only conjectured. Estimates are made as to the time it will take 
to do the grading, to lay the rails, equip the road, and also as 
to the probable cost of the enterprise. It is foreseen, almost, if 
not positively, to a certainty, that the general benefits to be de- 
rived from the undertaking will be very great, and much that is 
definite concerning it, both as to time and place, is anticipated 
or fore-determined even by man ; but how many accidents will 
take place, how many lives will be lost in constructing, equipping, 
or operating the road — indeed, all the minutiae that will tran- 
spire in connection therewith — are all matters of conjecture. It 
is not intended that the undertaking shall, in any respect, bring 
injury or damage to any, and yet, incidentally, loss and damage 



92 DA V DA WNING. 

are, eventually, sustained by some. Man's justification for set- 
ting the enterprise on foot, lies in the fact that what is foreseen 
or fore-determined by him, respecting it, is beneficent and large, 
whilst the casualties, which are all unforeseen, and, as far as pos- 
sible, avoided, are generally, in comparison with the benefits 
eventually realized, exceedingly small. 

As the projects of man are, for a time at least, so generally 
successful, so the purposes of God will, in the fullness of time, be 
invariably so. The difference between the foreknowledge and 
pre-determinationsofman, the creature, and of God, the Creator, 
is as the finite in comparison with the Infinite. His ''ways'' 
are immeasurably ''higher than our ways, and his thoughts than 
our thoughts ; ' ' and while he purposes no harm to us whatever 
in anything he does, it is nevertheless true that, incidentally, 
evils are experienced by some. These, from the fact that the 
works of nature must, necessarily, be on a large scale, because 
intended for the general good, cannot, without miraculous 
intervention, always be avoided. Thunder-storms, for instance, 
generally, if not always, occur at a season of the year when 
their visitations are of great value to the communities visited 
by them: such visits being, at times, quite indispensable to 
the preservation of life and health ; and as they are generally, 
fearfully demonstrative, and, from their very nature, must neces- 
sarily be so, it is not at all marvelous that damage from them is, 
sometimes, incidentally experienced. But, who will say that 
agencies so potent for good are ever intended, in any case, to 
inflict harm? Not only does the goodness of God forbid the 
indulgence of such a thought, but the fantastic freaks of lightning 
themselves, in some of their movements, also forbid the idea that 
such movements are governed by anything else than the require- 
ments of what we call natural laws. A little reflection, we think, 
will convince us that, without miraculous intervention, some 
casualties are almost, if not quite, unavoidable in the operations 
of the laws pertaining to the World of Matter. In the World of 
Mind, owing to the free-agency of man, without which, as we 



THE HOL Y TRINITY, 93 

have seen, he could not be in the image of God, and the fact of 
his ignorance and inexperience in the earlier years of his exist- 
ence, without which he could not enjoy the happiness incident 
to progression, the tendency to interference with the beneficent 
workings of natural laws is far greater. Even in his maturer 
years, man frequently exercises his free-agency in such a manner 
as to give to the shades of life a deeper gloom than is required to 
make their contrast with its sunshine always agreeable : neverthe- 
less, man's progress and development in the direction of the good 
and true^ his general happiness, and God's promises in his behalf 
for the future, implied by his merciful providences in the past, 
all abundantly assure us not only of the wisdom and goodness of 
God, but they are an earnest that the influence of his Holy Spirit 
will continue to spread until ^' the earth shall be full of the knowl- 
edge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." It was with 
grateful remembrance of the mercies of God in the past, and con- 
fidence in his protecting providence for the future, that the patri- 
arch Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph. Laying his hands on the 
heads of Ephraim and Manasseh, he said : " God, before whom 
my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me 
all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me 
from all evil, bless the lads." 

As, to be in the image of God, a free-agent, and to enjoy the 
happiness incident to progression, man was necessarily, though 
*' not willingly made subject to vanity; " that is, subject to such er- 
rors and follies as are apt to accompany ignorance and inexperi- 
ence, so, we believe, the plan or plans for his redemption from the 
evils into which he would be likely to fall, were carefully and 
lovingly laid. For ordinary physical ills adequate remedies were 
provided in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, which 
remedies do good service also even where natural laws have been 
greatly disregarded. There is, probably, no stronger proof that 
man errs chiefly, if not entirely, from ignorance and inexperi- 
ence, than the fact that so wonderful provision has been made to 
remedy his faults. If every improper thought or deed, on the 



94 DA V DA WNING. 

part of man, were called into exercise by a spirit of voluntary 
and inexcusable perverseness, then we might suppose a system of 
relentless penalties would have been established as the efficient 
or necessary means of preventing him from deviating from the 
strict line of obedience to inexorable laws. In all his wander- 
ings from a right or proper course, the evidences, in nature, are 
overwhelming that man is chiefly, if not entirely, regarded by 
his Great Father as a child that needs correction, and not as 
an inexcusable criminal on whom condign punishment should be 
inflicted for having oflended righteous laws. 

For errors of the mind, or of the imagination, it was provided 
that, in addition to the constant, though unobtrusive, influence 
of God's Holy Spirit, men should, as the generations should 
pass away, have the advantage of the accumulated experience of 
their predecessors, and that, in the fullness of time, when pre- 
pared to receive him, God himself should be fully made known 
to man in the person of a perfect Divine Exemplar and Teacher 
who should be called Immanuel, through whom the redemption 
of man should, eventually, be made complete. 

Now, as to the general plans or purposes of God, we believe 
that all this, and infinitely more than any finite being can com- 
prehend or imagine, was foreknown and fore-determined by him : 
but, as we have said, and for the reasons given, we believe he has 
chosen not to foreknow, and therefore not to fore-determine, the 
minute details of what will transpire in all the future, especially 
as they will develop in the World of Mind. 

According to the Father's plans we believe, as we have said, 
that the Christ of God was, in due time, fully revealed to man 
through Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he finding himself, in every 
respect, especially fitted to declare the Father's love. ^^God 
had, at sundry times, and in divers manners spoken, in time 
past, unto the fathers by the prophets;" but the time finally 
came when the wise and good of the earth looked for the early 
advent of that Great Deliverer, whose coming the prophets had 
predicted. This expectation was shared by the Jewish women 



THE HOL Y TRINITY, 95 

of that time; and she was considered highly favored, who should 
be the mother of the expected Lord. We do not propose to in- 
dulge in special laudations of the excellencies or virtues of 
Mary, the mother of Jesus ; she, doubtless, was one of those^ 
Jewish women who ardently looked, and hoped, for the early 
coming of the Messiah; and among them all there was proba- 
bly none more pure-minded, hopeful, and devoted than she. 
Maternal influence, including the ante-natal, has for ages been 
regarded, by the wise, as having a most important bearing 
upon the habits and character of offspring. So important in- 
deed, was this influence considered by some of the ancients, 
that, under certain circumstances, women received the most 
marked consideration and attention, and of a kind that under 
other circumstances were seldom, if ever, accorded. It is worthy 
of note that, as a rule, the mothers of the great or good, have 
been remarked for their mental ability, or sterling good sense. 
Of the latter, the mother of Washington was a notable example ; 
of the former, the mother of the first Napoleon. The account 
we have of Samuel the prophet, in Scripture history, impresses us 
with the conviction that his earnestness and devotional spirit 
were, in a great degree, inherited from his excellent mother. 

The apostle Paul, evidently recognizes the power of maternal 
influence, where, in his second letter to Timothy, he says, *^I 
thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure con- 
science, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my 
prayers night and day ; greatly desiring to see thee, being mind- 
ful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy ; when I call to 
remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt 
first in thy .grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice ; and I am 
persuaded that in thee also." The feeling or spirit of deference, 
which was manifested by John the Baptist toward Jesus, is, we 
believe, in great measure, to be accounted for by the deference 
which Elizabeth, his mother, had freely felt and exhibited toward 
Mary, her cousin, the mother of Jesus. The superior fitness of 
Mary to be the mother of the expected Messiah, must have been 



96 jDAV da WNING, 

clear and unmistakable, or her right to such an honor would not 
have been freely acknowledged by another, especially in view of 
the fact that, to be the mother of the Messiah, was, by a Jewish 
woman, esteemed to be a position calculated to secure, to the 
one so favored, the highest consideration and honor. The words 
of Mary are in proof that the Jewish women so regarded this re- 
lation, /or in the expectation of occupying this exalted position, 
she said, ''My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath 
rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low es- 
tate of his handmaiden : for, behold, from henceforth all gener- 
ations shall call me blessed. He hath put down the mighty from 
their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the 
hungry with good things ; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy \ 
as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.'* 

The apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, quoting from 
the Psalms concerning the mission of the Messiah, and of the 
fact of providential preparation for it, says: ''Wherefore when 
he cometh into the world, he saith. Sacrifice and offering thou 
wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offer- 
ings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said 
I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to 
do thy will, O God.'' 

In the book of the prophet Isaiah it is written : " The voice of 
him that crieth in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the 
Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every 
valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made 
low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough 
places plain : and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all 
flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken 
it." 

While we believe, therefore, that, from the beginning of the 
world, the providences of God were especially directed to the 
preparing of the way for the coming of one in and through whom 
God could, eventually, make himself fully manifest to all man- 



THE HOL V TRINITY, 97 

kind, and that he, through whom God was perfectly revealed, 
viz. : Jesus of Nazareth, was himself providentially fitted or pre- 
pared for the work set before him, we, nevertheless, as fully 
believe that all the testimonies of Jesus were entirely voluntary ; 
that their minute details were not foreseen, and that the ability 
of Jesus to resist the will of God was as complete as his compli- 
ance with it was willingly and cheerfully yielded. 

If we be asked why it was that Jesus yielded a willing and 
cheerful compliance with the Father's will, when he knew that in 
so doing he would, at that time at least, be required to forego all 
thought of worldly profit and renown, nay, more, that he would 
meet with the fiercest opposition from very many among the 
intelligent and influential; and, although the earnest advocate 
for the comfort and rights of the desolate and the oppressed, 
would be misunderstood and unappreciated by the masses gener- 
ally, and that both the rich and the poor would eventually con- 
spire against him and take his life ; we reply : that life was to him 
nothing, or valueless, except as he could enjoy it in the exercise 
of love toward all mankind, toward enemies as well as friends. 
So transcendently attractive to him was the exercise of this spirit 
that all things else dwindled into utter insignificance in compari- 
son with it; indeed, in his estimation, there was no enduring 
value in any thing except as it was, or ultimately would be, con- 
formed to the uses and purposes of the Divine Spirit of love. 
We have said, in substance, that we believe God's chief delight 
consists in the love of imparting rational happiness to, and of 
enjoying it with, his offspring, and in the love of overcoming 
evil with good; and that, if it were possible to take from God his 
darling attribute of love, that, rather than live for the sake of 
exercising knowledge and power only. He would consign the 
Universe to chaos, and himself to a state of everlasting forgetful- 
ness. And so Jesus, being the brightness of the Father's glory 
and the express image of his person, found, we believe, life un- 
endurable except as he could enjoy it in the same spirit. The 
temptations to which he was subjected, it is true, were very great. 

E 



98 DA V DA WNING. 

Conscious of the possession of superior intellectual powers, ol 
an ability to attract and sway the multitude, it is not marvelous 
that thoughts of personal advantage and aggrandizement obtruded 
themselves like an evil spirit into his mind. It is not marvelous 
that when hungered from long fasting, the unbidden suggestion^ 
should present itself that his personal influence and power were 
sufficient to secure to him, at any moment, a supply for all his 
wants; that, when further exalted with the feeling of conscious 
power and influence, he should conceive the thought of casting 
himself from a pinnacle of the temple and of expecting to descend 
safely therefrom into the midst of the multitude upheld by angel 
hands; that, when still further exalted, his thoughts, as it were, 
ascending to a height comparable in elevation to a mountain 
exceeding high, he should, in imagination, regard himself as the 
possible ruler over all the kingdoms of the world, governing 
indeed with wisdom, but surrounded with pomp and splendor, 
and swaying the sceptre of imperial power. It was but natural 
that the mind of the poor peasant of Judea should thus have been 
lifted up in the hope of the possible enjoyment of a position so 
strongly in contrast with his own. But all these temptations, 
great as they were, were nothing, in the enjoyments they promised, 
in comparison with the joy which he felt in the performance of 
his appropriate work, viz.: the preparing of the way for the re- 
demption of man from the power of evil. For the accomplish- 
ment of this work he presented himself a willing sacrifice, holy, 
and acceptable. And it is the enjoyment of this spirit of their 
Elder Brother and Divine Leader which constitutes, we believe, 
the true basis of what is called The Comforting Doctrine of the 
Final Perseverance of the Saints. We believe that true lovers of 
Christ persevere in their steadfast adherence to him and his doc- 
trines, not, as some suppose, because they imagine they have been 
individually or specifically predestinated thereto, but because 
Christ, the Son of God, is so lovely and attractive to them that 
they are not willing to forsake him. To them Christ is indeed 
*'the Chief among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely.'* 



THE HOL V TRINITY, 99 

Some professing Christians do, it is true, declare that they are 
saved from sin by the power of what they call Sovereign Grace; 
in which statement there is, at least, an intimation that their own 
volition or free-agency in the matter is but of little, if any, con- 
sequence ; that God, as the Infinite Being and Sovereign Ruler 
of the Universe, had, from all eternity, determined to save them, 
and that, therefore, they are simply and only passive instruments 
in his hands — simply clay in the hands of the potter — that indeed 
all men are arbitrarily fashioned, some into vessels of honor, 
others into vessels of dishonor. 

While we firmly believe that man's will is absolutely free, we, 
nevertheless, freely admit that Divine Grace is sovereign; that, 
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so the power of Divine 
Grace far transcends all other powers both in heaven and in earth; 
but it is, we believe, the power of attraction, and not of compul- 
sion; of persuasion, and not of force. Its power is comparable 
to that which is exercised over the mother, and the family, by 
the prattling babe, which, by its very harmlessness, innocence, 
and winning ways, is the confessed monarch of the household. 
Its power is comparable to that through which the bride is the 
acknowledged mistress of the bridegroom, for although she rules 
him not by physical force or an imperious will — for in the 
former, at least, she is usually much the weaker of the two — she 
nevertheless secures allegiance through the power of those potent 
charms which generally command a willing submission. But we 
know that the babe does not always command the affections of 
the mother; sometimes the bride is forsaken by the bridegroom; 
and, alas! the influence of Divine Grace is ofttimes resisted. 
Over those whose hearts are readily susceptible of its influence, 
the conquests of Divine Grace are comparatively easy; but over 
many the victory is gained only by the most untiring watchful- 
ness and patience. From the beginning of the world its ''still, 
small voice/' and the gracious words of those who have listened 
to its teachings, have been instructing man in the way he should 
go. From the former the instruction has been universal, but 



100 DA Y DA WNING, 

adapted to man's differing needs and conditions: from the latter 
it has been widespread, influencing, to some extent, all nations. 
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, alludes to the uni- 
versality of the Spirit's gracious teachings: quoting, doubtless, 
from the words of the Psalmist concerning them, he says: *^But 
I say, Have they not heard ? Yes verily, their sound went into 
all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." The 
fact that men have, as yet, only to a limited extent profited 
thereby, is owing largely to the clashing of worldly interests, the 
din and turmoil of which have attracted their attention, while 
the breathings of the Spirit of Grace have been drowned in the 
general clamor, and, to a great extent, have been unheard or 
unheeded. Chiefly, when their minds have been providentially 
called away from worldly thoughts through crosses and afllictions, 
have men learned to listen and to value their gentle teachings. 
It is only by listening attentively to the low sweet accents of 
grace that constant peace of mind can be perfectly secured. As 
one who places his ear very closely to a musical box, finds, to his 
delight, the volume of its sounds, apparently, much increased, 
so he who gives an attentive ear to the sweet tones of Divine 
Grace, will find his soul enraptured with the swelling harmony, 
and quite forget the din and discord of the world. And we 
believe that men will, more and more, give to grace a listening 
ear, until, finally, the whole world shall gladly hear the charm- 
ing sound. 

*' Grace ! 'tis a charming sound ! 

Harmonious to the ear ; 

Heaven with the echo shall resound, 

And all the earth shall hear, * ' 

But, returning to the consideration of the subject of the testi- 
monies of Jesus, and of his relation to us as Immanuel, we may 
be told that, according to our theory, God, in Jesus Christ, was 
finally perfectly made known to man through the ministry of 
evil ; that Jesus was crucified by evil-minded men, and that 
therefore evil was authorized or determined upon, by our Great 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 101 

Father, that good might come. We reply that we do not believe 
God ever authorized or fore-determined evil that good might come. 
In order, as we have seen, that God might secure to man, His 
child, the greatest amount of happiness possible. He found it neces- 
sary to create him a free-agent, and a progressive being; and, 
of course, free from, at least, obvious miraculous aids or hinder- 
ances j that to give to man's progression the widest possible range 
or scope, as well as to avoid the miraculous in his behalf, it was 
necessary that his existence should commence with capacities, 
and conditions, so minute and obscure as to be beyond the reach 
of critical investigation by man, at least, in his present state, and 
to be regarded by man, therefore, as simply belonging to the 
category of undiscoverable natural things ; it being evident that 
like the heavenly bodies which are beyond the reach of our pres- 
ent minute investigation, though many of them are clearly and 
distinctly visible, so the works of nature in general, although 
many of them are familiar to our sight and knowledge, are, to 
a great extent, also inscrutable. At least man's earliest years, 
as we have seen, are necessarily spent in ignorance and inexpe- 
rience, in consequence of which, it was foreseen, he would be 
likely to commit many errors or mistakes; and it was to provide 
against the possible or probable evils which would be likely to 
result therefrom that the plan of redemption was conceived. As 
God, to make man, His child, free and happy, could not do other- 
wise than make him '' subject to vanity,'' so with loving care He 
devised a plan to rescue him from the consequences of its pos- 
sible or probable influence over him. As ignorance and inex- 
perience were man's chief points of weakness, and, at first, all 
things being considered, unavoidable, so God designed that the 
power of his love should, eventually, be fully made known to 
man through the instrumentality of the very evils into which 
man's ignorance and inexperience would be likely to lead him. 
God does not do evil that good may come, but with fatherly care 
he provides ample remedies for evils which are likely to, and do, 
come ; and, in time, he will secure to man complete redemp- 



102 DAY DAWNING. 

tion from every ill. It was through the ignorance of man that 
Christ Jesus was crucified, and it was through the agony and ig- 
nominious death of Christ that the Great Sufferer was enabled to 
display the fullness of the Divine forgiveness and love ; and so 
ignorance, which was at first the occasion of man's fall, thus 
finally became an instrument in his redemption. This method, 
or process of recovery, appears not only in the moral and spirit- 
ual, but also in the natural world. It is well known that vegeta- 
ble growth depends for its luxuriance mainly upon the nourish- 
ment derived from decayed and decaying vegetable and other 
matter; thus the death and dissolution of one thing tends to pro- 
mote the life and vigor of another. Even the seed itself must 
pass through a process of dissolution before the vital germ, which 
it contains, can be quickened into action and development. 
Said Jesus, ^^ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of 
wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it 
die, it bringeth forth much fruit.'' Paul, in his first letter to the 
Corinthians, says: ^^Thou fool, that which thou so west is not 
quickened, except it die." Thus it will be seen that what, at 
first sight, appears as a weakness or defect in the Divine Econ- 
omy^ is, in fact, that through whose instrumentality the power and 
perfections of God are finally fully displayed. And^ although it 
is doubtless true, as Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, that 
*^ the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are 
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even 
his eternal power and Godhead; " so that, in the performance of 
evil deeds, men were and are, in a certain sense, ^^ without ex- 
cuse,'' yet it is doubtless equally true that, all things being con- 
sidered, men could never have come to a knowledge of the full- 
ness of God's love through the lessons taught by the ordinary 
operations of the works of nature only. The perfection of God's 
love — the love of overcoming evil with good — could, as we have 
seen, have been clearly brought to light, and fully tested among 
men, only through the godlike sufferings and death, at the hands 
of mistaken and cruel men, at first of one alone. 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 103 

*'But/' it may be asked, " if Jesus had the power to refuse, 
and had refused^ to perform the work for which he was especially 
fitted, could not another equally well fitted for its performance 
have taken his place, and by willing obedience have become Im- 
manuel.'* We reply that although Jesus, as a free-agent, had 
full power to abandon, at any time, his appropriate work, yet 
such abandonment was, in his case, morally impossible. It was 
impossible in the sense that it is impossible for a fond mother to 
abandon her darling child, or for an affectionate bridegroom to 
abandon his bride. Most mothers would sooner lose their own 
lives than take the lives of their children, and the bridegroom is 
doubtless exceptional who would not welcome death rather than 
submit to become the executioner of his bride. And so with 
Jesus, overflowing, as he was, with love to God and all mankind, 
it was morally impossible that to save his own natural life he 
could take the life of any human being, whether enemy or friend, 
or refuse to die in man's behalf. Says Paul in his letter to the 
Romans: *' For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet 
peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But 
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet 
sinners, Christ died for us." In the prime of manhood, ^'in all 
points tempted like as we are," his whole nature, moral, mental, 
and physical, doubtless capable of the highest degree of rational 
earthly enjoyment, although knowing full well that his meek 
submission to death at the hands of his enemies was absolutely 
necessary, not only to his own everlasting peace, but especially 
so to bring life and immortality clearly to light among men, we, 
nevertheless do not marvel that the expectation of an agonizing 
death, and an early or hasty separation from all that might have 
been enjoyed by him on earth, filled the mind and heart of 
Jesus with the deepest anguish. His prayer in the Garden of 
Gethsemane was offered up in words expressive of the almost 
unutterable agony of a human heart clinging with human tenacity 
to its earthly life. Falling on the ground, he said: ^^ Abba, 
Father, all things are possible unto thee ; take away this cup from 



104 r>A V DA WNING. 

me : nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. " Relying, 
with firm faith upon God, and the testimonies of the prophets, 
he said to one of his followers who had undertaken to defend 
him by the use of the sword, '^Thinkest thou that I cannot now 
pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than 
twelve legions of angels ? But how then shall the Scriptures be 
fulfilled, that thus it must be?" If Jesus, who, as we have seen, 
was especially fitted to lead in the great work of man's redemp- 
tion, had, in his extremity, failed in it as a perfect Exemplar or 
Leader, we have no reason to believe that any other human being 
would have been successful in the attempt to carry forward and 
perfect such a work. Indeed abandonment of it, on his part, in 
the hour of his severest temptation and trial, would have in- 
dicated the inability of Divine love to survive, in man, the ap- 
plication of the severest tests, and so this, the mightiest influence 
in the Universe, would then have failed to accomplish for man 
the all-important work of bringing life and immortality to light 
through the person of a Mediator. The failure of Jesus to carry 
out his work would, doubtless, have discouraged all others, who 
might have been equally well fitted for it, from attempting its 
performance. But Divine Charity, or Love, never faileth; sooner 
or later it is sure to be successful. It was at first completely suc- 
cessful in one, and it has since been successful in many, and it 
will finally prevail over all. Whenever a human heart gladly re- 
ceives it, its presence becomes so attractive that the possessor 
will never suffer it to depart. Hence failure on the part of Jesus 
to perform his great work was, as we have said, morally impos- 
sible ; and we have no doubt of the final perseverance in right- 
eousness, of, at least, all those followers of his who love him in 
sincerity and in truth. 

If our premises, concerning the necessity of the mediation of 
one person in behalf of all mankind, are correct, and we think 
they will receive the approval of the truly enlightened conscience, 
it follows, that, as Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled, perfectly, all the 
requirements incident to the great mediatorial work, he is to us 



THE HOL Y TRINITY. 105 

the same as God himself. He is Immanuel, God with us, or 
God in his Spirit, fully manifest to us in our own human nature. 
Without such a Mediator the perfections of God could never, as 
we have seen, have been fully made known to man ; and, there- 
fore, Jesus is, to us, not only man, but also God; and being thus 
our Head or Leader, the equal of God in all that constitutes true 
glory and excellence, we therefore believe that he will eventually 
be honored by all men, as he now is by many, as the Second 
Person in the Adorable Trinity. 

And thou, O Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove ! last mentioned 
among the Holy Three, but in all things both The First and 
The Last ; Thou who didst move the lowly Jesus to wash his dis- 
ciples' feet, in order that he might thus gently reprove their am- 
bitious desire for worldly prominence, and give them an example 
of loving service, in the spirit of which he desired them, living 
or dying, constantly to walk : Thou who didst exalt, with thy 
influence and power, this same Jesus *' to be a Prince and a Saviour, 
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins,'' we con- 
fess to Thee how vain it were for human lips to attempt, fitly, to 
celebrate thy praise. Hungering and thirsting after righteous- 
ness, we would desire to be filled of thy fullness, which is ex- 
haustless, and to be quickened by thy power. 

'^ Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove, 
With all thy quickening powers, 
Kindle a flame of sacred love 
Within these hearts of ours." 

Instead, therefore, of contemplating God as a Solitary Unit, 
sitting upon the Throne of the Heavens in majesty unapproacha- 
ble, we are glad to believe that, although he is the Infinite One, 
he is a Being of separate and distinct attributes, and that these 
are co-existent, co-eternal, and inter-dependent, all being bound 
together by the cords of the Divine, and therefore never-failing 
love; that these attributes are manifested to man through 

God the Father, the Source of all things. Almighty; 

God the Son, or God manifest in the flesh, All-merciful; 



106 DA Y DA WNING. 

God the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Divine Charity, proceed- 
ing from the Father and the Son, All-prevailing. 

And we believe that these Three are One, one in spirit, one in 
purpose. 

The earliest Scripture record states that, ^^ In the beginning 
God created the heaven and the earth. And God said, Let there 
be light, and God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of 
the waters; Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together 
unto one place; And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass; 
And God said. Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving 
creature that hath life. And God said. Let the earth bring forth 
the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and 
beast of the earth after his kind : and it was so.'* 

In all this work God would seem to have exercised mainly or 
only the power of Sovereign will. But when man, the crowning 
work of the Creator, was to be formed, all the attributes of God 
took counsel together, '^ and God said. Let Us make man in Our 
image, after Our likeness. It was then that the dearest affec- 
tions of the Heavenly Father were brought into joyful exercise, 
and man was born. Man has been called the Microcosm — the 
epitome of the Universe; but we would say that man is the epit- 
ome of God and the Universe. Now as the representatives of 
God, on the earth, are male and female, it would not be irrever- 
ent, we think, to entertain the belief that God and the Universe 
rejoice in a like relation to each other; God the Spirit as the 
Great Father, and the vitalized Universe as the Great Mother of 
us all; that as woman was taken from the side of man, and 
became man's companion, so the Universe, vitalized by the Di- 
vine Spirit of love, came forth from the heart, and is the Great 
Companion, of God; and that as the Great Father, and the 
Great Mother, enjoy the companionship of each other, and of 
their offspring, that therefore their offspring should find their 
chief delight in loving and honoring them, and in promoting 
the happiness of each other. Nor do we think that belief in the 
Duality of God is at all inconsistent with a rational view of God 



THE HOL V TRINITY, lOT 

as a Holy Trinity. We have said that God delights in fellow-^ 
ship, and although he is doubtless in himself alone The High: 
AND Holy One of the Universe, we nevertheless believe he 
rejoices in companionship; that therefore he was and is, with the 
Universe a Great Duality, to man a Holy Trinity, and in alL 
redeemed souls a Blessed Multiplicity. Says the beloved John,. 
'' Whosoever dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.** 
Let us all ever pray that God may thus become, more and more, a 
Blessed Multiplicity. 

With this slight digression, we will now proceed, without 
apology for dwelling upon them, with the further consideratioa 
of the subjects of the Holy Trinity, Mediation, and Redemption. 
We do so, even at the risk of being considered tedious, because 
we regard a right understanding of these subjects as of trans- 
cendent importance, and their consideration and reconsideration, 
therefore, profitable. Said Jesus to his disciples, *'I tell you the 
truth ; It is expedient for you that I go away : for if I go not 
away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I 
will send him unto you. I have many things to say unto you, 
but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of 
Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." 

The mission of Jesus was of a character so exalted, that even his 
disciples did, at first, but faintly, if at all, comprehend it. If 
they could have been profited by a full explanation of his position 
and purposes while he was with them in the flesh, we believe he 
would have spoken to them, substantially, as follows: ''It is of 
great importance, my friends, that you listen to my teachings, 
and that you are strongly affected by my influence; but you do 
not understand the character of the great work to accomplish 
which I was sent into the world. You are expecting that I will 
set up a kingdom upon the earth, and so I will; but of its true 
character you have only the faintest conception. You expect 
that I will rule, to a certain extent, by the exercise of selfish and 
irresponsible power, after the manner of the princes of this world; 
and even now there is strife among you as to which shall be the 



108 £>A V DA WNING. 

greatest in my kingdom. You declare your willingness to die 
with me rather than deny me; and you, doubtless, would attempt 
to defend me, by the use of the sword, at the imminent peril of 
your lives, if I should encourage you so to do : but my object is 
not to set up an earthly kingdom, but to establish in the earth the 
reign of Divine or Disinterested Love; and when you find that, 
instead of my opposing my enemies by harmful resistance, I 
meekly submit to arrest and trial, and discourage you from using 
carnal weapons of warfare in my behalf, you will attribute my 
conduct to weakness or incompetency, and as a confession that I 
have been overcome ; and, being then^ as you will suppose, 
powerless, you will all forsake me. You esteem me, it is true, as a 
great leader, whose principal object is to establish righteousness in 
the earth, but you suppose I will resist my enemies, as do other 
princes, by the use of the sword. I have taught you to live to- 
gether in love and unity; to sell that ye have, and to place 
the proceeds thereof into a common purse to be used in alms- 
giving, and according as each of you may have need. I have 
intended that the contents of this depository of our brotherhood, 
should consist of the free-will offerings, only, of those who join 
us, and are friendly tons; but already I observe, with sorrow, the 
spirit of covetousness among you. There is one, in particular, 
among you, who imagines that cunning, or artifice, may be justi- 
fiably practised on our enemies to increase our gains. In his es- 
timation the larger our treasure, the greater our power, and, as he 
has our money in his care or keeping, he will endeavor to secure 
advantage and distinction by exhibiting his ability to increase its 
sum. To him a favorable opportunity, in this direction, seems 
now to offer. He knows that the chief priests, generally, are 
determined, if possible, to have me put to death, and that they 
would reward with money, any one who would betray me, and 
aid them, directly or indirectly, in quietly securing my arrest. 
When I address the multitude, the common people hear me 
gladly; he knows that I am popular with them, and hence there 
will be no attempt to arrest me openly ; but, with an ingenuity 



THE HOL V TRINITY, 109 

sharpened by pride and avarice, he will, under cover of the night, 
when the multitude of my admirers are hushed in sleep, conduct 
my enemies to my retreat. He will do all this, not out of any 
feeling of animosity toward me — for he really respects my char- 
acter, talent and influence — but to win applause for sagacity, and 
gratify his love of gain. Depending upon my popularity with 
the common people, my irreproachable life, the wisdom of my 
answers when my enemies prefer charges against me and seek to 
entangle me in my words, he expects that my arrest will be 
quickly followed by my release, and the practical result of the 
whole transaction be simply an increase of our treasure. Mis- 
taken man ! For the reasons I have just given, you will all be scat- 
tered, every man to his own, and will leave me alone; and the 
multitude, supposing me to be powerless, and seeing my indis- 
position to defend myself by violent means against the evil de- 
signs of my enemies, will denounce me as an impostor, and 
clamor loudly for my execution. The ecclesiastical, and the 
civil power, are both arrayed against me : the former because of 
my critical interpretation of the law and the prophets, and de- 
preciation of mere formalities and human traditions; and the 
latter because of my popularity with the people, and my sup- 
posed intention to set up a rival government upon the earth. 
The ecclesiastical power hates me, and the Roman governor, 
perplexed by its malicious representations, will seek to exonerate 
himself from censure, and make a display of loyalty to his polit- 
ical superior, by placing me in its power. My betrayer, finding 
that I am to be put to death, filled with an agony of remorse at 
the unexpected result of his betrayal of me, will spurn the gain 
he so much coveted, and life to him will become unendurable; 
while the people, who will witness my execution, and clamor 
for it, smitten with self-reproach, will afterward turn with bitter 
sorrow and repentance from the dreadful scene. After my exe- 
cution, the remembrance of my beneficent acts and blameless life, 
my meekness and submission when arraigned for trial before my 
enemies, and my forgiveness of them in the hour of death, will 



110 DA Y DA WNING. 

touch the hearts of many, and thus the way will be prepared 
among men for the effective influence of the Holy Spirit or 
Heavenly Comforter." 

Jesus well knew that such a statement would have but little 
effect upon the inexperienced and unenlightened minds of his 
disciples. If he had thus addressed them, his words, owing to 
their ignorance of spiritual things at that time, would doubtless 
have done his disciples but little if any good, and his influence 
over them, which it was of the greatest importance for them and 
his cause, he should retain, might for the time being at least, 
have been lost or impaired. Whatever might have been the effect 
upon them of such an address, his death by the hands of his ene- 
mies was, nevertheless, we believe, inevitable. The bigoted 
malice of the ecclesiastical power, the jealousy of the civil power, 
and the inability of the masses to comprehend the sublime char- 
acter of his mission, would doubtless still have operated against 
him and brought him to an untimely death ; and he knew that 
death at the hands of his enemies, and the forgiving spirit with 
which he should meet it, were, in his case, as to the former, in- 
evitable, and as to the latter, necessary, not only that the disin- 
terested love of God to man might be fully displayed in him, but 
because this exalted manifestation of it was the only way in 
which the excellency of the Holy Spirit could at first be per- 
fectly demonstrated. We repeat, that the Divine Principle of 
love, in the flesh, would not and could not have been thoroughly 
tested, and the proof of its power have been clearly made known 
to all mankind, except it had perfectly appeared, and been fully 
sustained under the severest trial, by the pure testimony, in life 
and in death, at first, of only one. For, as has been stated, if 
two or more persons had, in the beginning, simultaneously, borne 
this testimony, each, by his sympathy, would have assisted in 
encouraging and supporting his fellow or fellows, and love would 
thus have had fellowship and sympathy to lean upon, and so its 
vitality and capabilities would not have been subjected to a thor- 
ough trial. 



THE HOL V TRINITY^ 111 

Instead, therefore, of discouraging his disciples from following 
him by a detailed statement of what would probably transpire in 
connection with his death, he alluded to his expected early de- 
parture rather in general terms, such as, ^^ Verily, verily, I say 
unto you, that one of you shall betray me." '^ Little children, 
(or, as yet, inexperienced ones,) yet a little while I am with you. 
Ye shall seek me : and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye 
cannot come ; so now I say to you. A new commandment I 
give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, 
that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye 
are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.'* '* Simon Peter 
said unto him. Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him. 
Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt fol- 
low me afterwards. Peter said unto him. Lord, why cannot I 
follow thee now ? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus 
answered him. Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake ? Verily, 
verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast 
denied me thrice.'' '^ I have yet many things to say unto you, 
but ye cannot bear them now." 

It will be observed that Jesus addressed his disciples as little 
children ; as those who were inexperienced, and who, therefore, 
had need of being taught; and, in this view of their situation, 
it would seem that he ought to have eluded his enemies, and re- 
mained with his disciples, and continued to instruct them in the 
way they should go, until they should be able to comprehend, 
in good degree, the sublime character of his mission. But, it 
should be borne in mind, he had taught them all of spiritual truth 
that could be imparted by words. He had said, '* Blessed are 
the meek, " ^ ^ Blessed are the merciful, " * ' Blessed are they which 
do hunger and thirst after righteousness," '^Blessed are the 
peacemakers," ^'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, 
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them w^hich despite- 
fully use you and persecute you." He could not have taught 
them anything better if he had remained with them all their 
earthly lives. These teachings, precious as they were, and full 



112 JDA Y DA WNING. 

of spirit '* and ''life/' were to his disciples, owing to their 
then limited experience in spiritual things, after all, only words. 
It was necessary that he, being the first to make them the burden 
of his testimony, should exemplify them not only in his life, but 
also in his death. Ignorance, superstition and selfishness, which 
sometimes oppose each other, were nevertheless sure to unite 
in deadly hostility to him ; and O wonderful Providence, that 
the crucifixion of Jesus, which was the most dreadful deed of 
blindness and madness that had ever been committed by man, 
should, instrumentally, be the very act through which divine 
love was perfectly exemplified in the person and on the part of 
the victim or sufferer, life and immortality perfectly brought to 
light, the hearts of men softened, and redemption from all evil 
made possible to all mankind ! How wonderful the Divine com- 
pensations ! How overflowing the Divine compassion ! Jesus 
indeed told the truth when he said to his disciples, ''It is ex- 
pedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Com- 
forter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him 
unto you/' This was true, first, because, as has been said, the 
power, of the Holy Spirit to overcome all enmity in man, could 
not, at first, have been perfectly exemplified in any other way 
than by meek submission on the part of Jesus to the cruel and 
ignominious death which awaited him; and, second, because, 
when once perfectly exemplified, it afforded a sure foundation 
on which the disciples of Jesus could, with unwavering confi-. 
dence, and without fear of failure, build their faith and hope. 
The temperate enjoyment of transitory things ought not, we 
believe, to be neglected as unworthy of attention ; but, on the 
contrary, should, we believe, be cultivated rather than neglected. 
Like the drops of water which compose the ocean, or the grains 
of sand that chiefly constitute its shore, the happiness of our livesr 
is made up, mainly of little things : and it is, we believe, the 
will of our Great Father that we should fully, though temperately, 
enjoy, as far as possible, all things. Nevertheless, no transitory 
enjoyment, nor even all the sensuous pleasures of the world com- 



THE HOL V TRINITY. 113 

bined, can, of themselves only, give to the mind and heart of 
man solid and enduring comfort. This, in perfection, can come 
only from the cultivation of the spirit of disinterested or unsel- 
fish love — the love of doing good, and the love of overcoming 
evil with good. Indeed, without the cultivation of this spirit, we 
shall fail to properly appreciate any enjoyment. With it, all 
things are rationally and truly enjoyed, and we are, besides, in 
the ark of safety ; without it, we are afloat on the wild waves of 
uncertainty. With it, we are able to estimate all things at their 
true value ; without it, we know not, rightly, what to prize. 
Hence this Spirit is called ^* the Comforter " — '^ the Spirit of 
truth" — and, if properly heeded, will, eventually, '^ guide us," 
with certainty, ^^ into all truth." 

As therefore, the Holy Spirit could not, at first, have been 
perfectly revealed to men except through the person of a Medi- 
ator, and as the Mediator between God and man was Christ 
Jesus of Nazareth, it follows, that Jesus was, and is, to man, the 
Christ, the Son of God ; Immanuel, God with us, or God to us; 
and, as such, worthy to be glorified as the Second Person in the 
Adorable Trinity. And although we all, even of ourselves,^ ought 
to know and love what is right; and of ourselves, therefore, 
ought to aim to have ^^ that mind in us, which was in Christ 
Jesus : who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to 
be equal with God; " and of ourselves should strive to be, in the 
perfection of our love, also the equals, as he is the equal, of our 
common God and Father; yet with hearts overflowing with grati- 
tude to God for his loving kindness and tender mercy, and espe- 
cially for that love which constrained him to give as an offering 
and an example, for the redemption and salvation of man, his 
well-beloved and only begotten Son, we declare our belief that, 
until his Son was so sent, the light of the knowledge of the glory 
of God could not, all things being considered, have been dis- 
cerned and experienced in its fullness by the children of men. 

It is true that the prophets and wise men of old, influenced by 
the Spirit of God, predicted that the time would come when the 



114 DA V DA WNING. 

true light would shine in all its glory. They firmly believed in 
God and in the coming of a Redeemer : and their faith was 
counted unto them for righteousness ; and although they prophe- 
sied of things concerning which their faith was unwavering, still 
they evidently had no clear conception of the manner in which 
they should be fulfilled. John the Baptist was esteemed a great 
prophet ; Jesus pronounced him to be one of the greatest, and 
yet Jesus declared that he who was least in the kingdom of heaven 
was greater than John. No one of the prophets, no, not even 
John the Baptist himself, could truly say of himself, I am^ that 
is, I am the Christ. When Jesus came he truly said, / am : and 
it is only as men have the Spirit of Christ that they can with full 
assurance of faith declare, We are, that is, for time and for eter- 
nity, being the sons of God, We are. Without Christ our exist- 
ence, even for another moment, is uncertain. Only he who is in 
Christ Jesus can truly, and in the fullest sense, declare, / ajn. 
Such an one can truly say, I am, because he is in fellowship with 
The Infinite and Eternal I Am. 

As an animal body can have no conscious life without a head, 
so the phurch could have had no vital spiritual life without Christ, 
the Living Head. And it is as the Head of the Body, the 
Church, that Christ Jesus stands in the relation of Lord or God 
to us ; and while it is true that the different parts of the body are 
to a great extent mutually dependent, still to the head belongs 
the right of dominion over all. Hence Paul, in his letter to the 
Colossians, declares, that '^ Christ is the head of the body, the 
Church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that 
in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased 
the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." The head, 
therefore, has pre-eminence : nevertheless, although the body is 
not without the head, so the head is not without the body. Even 
God, the Almighty Head, whose body is the Universe, would, 
we believe, find existence undesirable, if not unendurable, if, by 
any possibility, the Universe could be irretrievably destroyed As 
the head is not without the body, nor the body without the head. 



THE HOL Y TRINITY, 115 

SO through the whole realm of Providence there is a certain inter- 
dependence between even God and created things. It is certain 
that we could not live, and enjoy existence, without God and his 
goodness ; still we will not pursue this line of argument so far 
as to assert that He could not enjoy existence even though the 
particular globe on which we live, and all its inhabitants, were 
blotted out. The resources of God are infinite: and an oc- 
casional loss or impairment among any of his works would not 
diminish the Divine resources. They are Infinite., To God, 
our Father, our deepest sense of gratitude is, therefore, due, in 
that he not only loves us, but shows, through all the manifesta- 
tions of his Providence, that he loves us tenderly, although not 
depending upon us, in particular, and possibly not at all, for his 
own enjoyment. Especially grateful should we be that he sent 
into the world One who, indeed, was, and is, entitled to be 
called '^ Wonderful, Counsellor;'* and who as the Head of the 
Body, the Church, is to us all as '^The Mighty God, The Ever- 
lasting Father, The Prince of Peace.'' 

We, therefore, cordially subscribe to the doctrine that the 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are to us as one God — a Holy 
Trinity. We gladly accept this doctrine, especially in view of 
the fact that through the intimate fellowship of the Son with the 
Father, which it affirms, we can ourselves, as members of his 
body in a spiritual sense, become one with the Father, and, as 
such, also his equals. 

In accepting the exalted position of equality with the Father, 
our Elder Brother had no thought of attempting to rob God of 
any of his perfections, but accepted it that he might thoroughly 
exemplify the excellence and power of the Holy Spirit ; and also, 
perfectly, serve mankind. Seeing and knowing, through his in- 
timate fellowship with the Holy Spirit, that God our Father, out 
of the fullness of his love, is constantly serving us, he also took 
upon himself the part of loving service in our behalf; and thus, 
as a servant, or in the form of one, devoted himself to the work 
of man's redemption: and we believe it is our duty, and that we 



116 DA Y DA WNING. 

should all consider it our happy privilege^ to spend our lives, 
also^ in like loving service. Especially should this feeling exer- 
cise those whose talents or gifts are great. Said Jesus to his dis- 
ciples, ^^ Whosoever will be great among you let him be your 
minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your 
servant/' This proposition was not an unreasonable one; for, 
even in worldly affairs, those services are generally best performed 
which are executed by such as have superior natural gifts. The 
very important work of serving, with the desire of benefitting, 
mankind, should therefore engage, if not engross, the earnest 
attention of the greatest minds. Even with respect to the work 
or labor of God himself, it is because he is supremely great, as 
well as good, that his services in behalf of his creatures, though 
self-imposed, are so promptly and efQciently performed : and, if 
we would be like him, we should never cease in our cordial ef- 
forts to benefit our fellow-men. We should, in our love to all 
mankind, endeavor to become the equals even of God himself. 
Think not that our Great Father will become jealous of such am- 
bition: on the contrary, if we so aspire, he will give us his 
Fatherly aid as we mount higher and higher on the wings of faith 
and hope, and rejoice with us, with exceeding joy, even if we 
attain to the very Throne of the Heavenly Grace itself. Our 
Father's greatest desire is that he and all his children may be 
one ; one in the spirit of disinterested love ; one in the desire to 
impart rational happiness to all. 

In a prayer offered up by Jesus in behalf of his disciples he 
said: '^ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which 
shall believe on me through their word ; that they all may be 
one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may 
be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that 
they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, 
that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may 
know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast 
loved me." 



THE HOL V TRINITY, 117 

It is evident, therefore, that although Christ is the Head of the 
Church, and, as such, has pre-eminence, we may, as members of 
his body, become his equals ; he directing, loving, and serving 
us, and we following, loving and serving him. 

The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, clearly 
and beautifully describes the mutual dependence and harmony of 
the different members of the body, comparing their relations to 
each other to those which subsist between Christ and the Church. 
He says: ^* For as the body is one, and hath many members, and 
all the members of that one body, being many, are one body ; 
so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one 
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or 
free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the 
body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say. Because 
I am not the hand, I am not of the body ; is it therefore not of the 
body? And if the ear shall say. Because I am not the eye, I am 
not of the body ; is it therefore not of the body ? If the whole 
body were an eye, where were the hearing ? If the whole body 
were hearing, where were the smelling ? But now hath God set 
the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased 
him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? 
But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the 
eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee : nor 
again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much 
more, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble, 
are necessary : and those members of the body which we think to 
be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor ; 
and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For 
our comely parts have no need : but God hath tempered the body 
together, having given more abundant honour to that part which 
lacked; that there should be no schism (or division) in the body; 
but that the members should have the same care one for 
another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suf- 
fer with it ; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice 



118 DA V DA WNING, 

with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in par- 
ticular/' 

Let us therefore, above all things, strive to become one with the 
Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ; and so illustrate their 
Spirit in our lives, that the Head and the whole body of the 
Church, may be able to rejoice together with fullness of joy. 

We have thus, in connection with the discussion of the subject 
of the Holy Trinity and of other subjects, attempted to show 
that what we call miracles do not, necessarily, constitute any 
part of the Divine Economy, and that they would in fact, at least 
as a rule if not altogether, be inconsistent with it ; that they 
would interfere, more or less, with man's free-agency, and thus 
disturb all his calculations based on the relations of cause and 
effect; and that God's providence is and ever will be sufficient 
for all things. Especially have we endeavored to show that all 
things will, eventually, yield willing and cheerful obedience to 
the influence and power of Divine or Disinterested love. Having, 
also, in the course of this discussion, endeavored to answer, to 
some extent, the questions, ^^ Why are we?" and *^Why are we 
as we are?" we shall now undertake, mainly and particularly, 
the consideration of the concluding question, viz. : *^ What are 
we to be? " with reference to which, in general terms, we have 
already expressed our belief. We have, for example, expressed 
our belief that the following words of the prophet Isaiah will in 
time be fulfilled, to wit : ^' for the earth shall be full of the knowl- 
edge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." We have ex- 
pressed the belief that men will, more and more, give to the 
sweet tones of Divine Grace, a listening ear, until finally the 
whole world shall gladly hear the charming sound ; and that the 
prayer, '^Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven," which 
for centuries has been offered up by lisping babes, and earnest 
men, and experienced age, shall in time be fully ans\^ered. 



X. 

WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 

^* T T THAT are we to be? '' Of all the questions which 
\ \ can engage the attention of the human mind, this, 
doubtless, is the most important. What are we to be on earth ? 
What, when we have passed to '^ that undiscovered country, from 
whose bourn no traveler returns ? ' ' What are we to be in 
time ? what in eternity ? 

As all knowledge relating to eternal things must be, we be- 
lieve, necessarily vague and indefinite to finite beings, we shall 
of course confine ourselves chiefly to the consideration of the 
question, What are we to be on earth ? In this, as in every other 
investigation, may the Spirit of truth guide, and, so far as our 
good is concerned, aid us to obtain the coveted light. 

With respect to earthly things, the general response to the 
question, *^ What are we to be ? '' would doubtless be in words 
such as were used by King Solomon, the Preacher, viz. : ^'The 
thing that hath been, is that which shall be ; and that which is 
done, is that which shall be done ; and there is no new thing 
under the sun.'* 

It is doubtless true that so far as the general operations of 
natural laws are concerned, implicit reliance can be placed on 
their regular recurrence; that, with respect to them, it may be 
truly said, that ^'the thing that hath been, is that which shall 
be." With respect to them, it is well for us indeed that '^ there 
is no new thing under the sun." With what anxiety, for in- 
stance, would we regard even the sun itself, if, for the space of 
twenty-four hours only, instead of pursuing what seems to us its 
regular course, it should continue suspended in mid-heaven ; or 
if for a like space of time the darkness of midnight should en- 



120 DA V DA WNING. 

shroud the earth. With what perplexity would we regard winter 
taking the place of summer; or autumn, that of spring. The 
ordinary or common processes of nature are generally repeated 
from generation to generation, and from age to age, and seldom 
exhibit any notable deviation from a regular course : they there- 
fore constitute the bases on which we feel we can with confidence 
lay our plans for happiness here. It is, obviously, important to 
us, that with respect to them, there should be, essentially, nothing 
new under the sun. The superstructure of a building may be 
altered or repaired, not only without prejudice^ but generally 
even with advantage to it, and without any damage whatever to 
the foundation ; but the foundation cannot be altered or repaired 
without the risk of seriously affecting or destroying the super- 
structure. Our natural bodies, constituting as they do the foun- 
dations on which, or the earthly habitations in which, we live, 
must therefore continue to be essentially the same, but the super- 
structure, consisting chiefly of our intellectual and moral natures, 
can be, should be, and eventually, we believe, will be very 
greatly, if not completely, beautified and improved. With re- 
spect to natural or earthly things, therefore, and their general 
operations, we accept the prophecy of the Preacher, that '^ the 
thing that hath been, is that which shall be; and that which is 
done, is that which shall be done.*' 

With respect to spiritual things, we gladly turn to those prophe- 
cies which predict for man, even in his earthly state, what may 
be termed a new life or a new condition. We read with delight 
the words of the prophet Micah herein before quoted, for exam- 
ple: ^^They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their 
spears into pruning-hooks : nation shall not lift up a sword 
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.*' With 
equal pleasure we quote again the words of the prophet Isaiah, 
— words which we believe should be figuratively, as well as, 
perhaps, literally taken, viz. : '^The wolf also shall dwell with 
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the 
calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together ; and a little 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 121 

child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their 
young ones shall lie down together ; and the lion shall eat straw 
like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of 
the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' 
(or adder's) den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy 
mountain : for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, 
as the waters cover the sea." With joy also, we read the words 
of the beloved John in the Apocalypse: ^^And I heard a great 
voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is 
with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his 
people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there 
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall 
there be any more pain : for the former things are passed away. 
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things 
new. And he said unto me. Write; for these words are true and 
faithful. And he said unto me. It is done. I am Alpha and 
Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that 
is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." 

What are we to be ! Before we enter upon the general dis- 
cussion of this question, we shall, as briefly as the importance of 
the subject will permit, consider first, what we ought to be^ and 
what we ought not to be. 

It will, doubtless, be readily admitted that we ought to be 
wise, and not foolish ; that we ought to be prudent, and not rash 
or violent : and yet if we are wise and prudent in a worldly sense 
only — seeking only worldly gain — we may fail of coming into 
the possession of the heavenly or true riches; and in the end be, 
practically, ^'wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, 
and naked." We ought therefore to be generous, and not 
covetous; except that we should ^^ covet earnestly the best 
gifts," in order that we may be the better qualified to promote 
the good of our fellow-men. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul 
says: '^ We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the 
weak, and not to please ourselves." In his epistle to the Gala- 

F 



122 DA Y DA WNING. 

tians, he says : '^Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill 
the law of Christ/' Jesus says: *'A11 things whatsoever ye 
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; for 
this is the law and the prophets.'* In his letter to the Romans, 
Paul says : ^' Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love 
is the fulfilling of the law." In his letter to the Galatians, he 
says: ^' For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this. 
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" And — ^greatest and 
best of all the commandments, whether contained in the law 
and the prophets, or elsewhere — Jesus says: ^^Ye have heard 
that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate 
thine enemy: but I say unto you love your enemies, bless them 
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them which despitefully use you and persecute you ; that ye may 
be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he 
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth 
rain on the just and on the unjust." ^^Be ye therefore perfect, 
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 

But, it may be said, that the prophecies to which we have just 
referred, relate not to the future condition of mankind on this 
earth, but to a state of things which the redeemed shall realize 
in another world — a world beyond that in which we live; or, 
that if realized here, it will be after the earth is purified by fire, 
in which tlie wicked that are then upon it will be destroyed, and 
that thereby it will be fitted to become, and will be, the abode 
of the pure and holy who had lived upon it. 

As a rule, living things upon the earth require for their health 
and happiness periodical cleansing or purification, and we admit 
the time may come when even the globe itself on which we live 
will need to be thoroughly purified. The constant increase of 
decayed and decaying matter upon it, incident to increase of 
population, may so interfere with the health of its inhabitants as 
to render it desirable, or even necessary, that, at least, its surface 
or crust should be thoroughly cleansed ; and as fire is one of the 
greatest, if not indeed the greatest of all purifiers, we think it 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 123 

probable the purification of the earth will eventually be effected 
through the instrumentality of this powerful agent. Besides, its 
population is in numbers already very great, and will, we presume, 
at a time not very far distant, quite thickly occupy the whole of 
its habitable parts ; and, as the earth itself does not increase in 
area, and probably could not without damage or inconvenience 
to its inhabitants, we think the supposition is reasonable that, on 
this account also, it will, in course of time, be incapable of sus- 
taining comfortably the immense multitudes which will probably 
people it. 

Now, for the reasons just given, we think it not unlikely that 
the earth will eventually be purified by fire, and that, coinci- 
dentally, the inhabitants then upon it will be suddenly removed 
to join those who have, and will have, gone before, to partici- 
pate in the enjoyments of an ampler sphere — a larger mansion in 
the Father's house. Said Jesus: '^In my Father's house are 
many mansions; * ^ * I go to prepare a place for you." The 
earth, if purified and renewed by fire, will probably become 
again the abode of intelligent beings; possibly of some who, 
before its renovation, had lived upon it. But we firmly believe 
that, as by culture, progress, and development, ordinary living 
things come to full perfection here^ that ere long and preceding 
the general renovation of the earth by fire, if ever, man^ the 
superior creature, will also, even here, continue to improve, men- 
tally and morally, until, in goodness, he shall finally be perfect 
even as his Father, which is in heaven, is perfect ; that in fact 
the race of man over the whole earth will eventually rejoice in 
the possession of the spirit of perfect or disinterested love. In 
the beginning ''God saw every thing that he had made, and be- 
hold, it was very good." The end will abundantly vindicate 
the wisdom of his works and ways. In the end he will look upon 
redemption's finished work, and behold, he shall see again that 
all things are very good. He is Alpha and Omega, the begin- 
ning and the end. 

In this belief that the human race will eventually become per- 



124 DA V DA WNING, 

feet in goodness, even here on earth, we find ourselves greatly 
strengthened, first, by the fact that Jesus, our Elder Brother, 
though tempted in all points like as we are, was nevertheless per- 
fect in goodness; he was '^full of grace and truth ; '* and, second, 
by the fact that many, since his day, have given full assurance 
that they have risen, even here, to the full stature of men in 
Christ Jesus. We believe their numbers will continue to increase, 
and that they will be greatly multiplied, until finally the whole 
world shall gladly acknowledge the sweet dominion of God's 
grace. We are further encouraged in this belief by Christ's own 
words. His prayer to God, our Father, was, *^ Thy kingdom 
come; thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.'' He com- 
pared this kingdom, for whose coming he prayed, to a grain of 
mustard seed, ^' which indeed," said he, 'Ms the least of allseeds; 
but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becom- 
eth a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the 
branches thereof." He also compared it to leaven, saying: 
** The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman hid 
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." This 
language, and much other in the Scriptures of like import, fully 
justifies, we believe, the hope or expectation entertained by many 
that the will of God will eventually be done in earth, as it is in 
heaven. 

But it may be objected that the words of the beloved John, in 
the Apocalypse, which we have quoted as part of our argument 
in support of this position, cannot, in one respect at least, refer 
to man's future condition in this world. It may be said that 
while we might possibly, or perhaps even hopefully, look forward 
to a time when, even here, God would wipe away all tears from 
our eyes, and when there should be no more sorrow nor crying, 
nor even any more pain, still, until the earth were entirely 
depopulated by fire, or by some other means, we could hardly 
expect the time to come when there should be no more death 
thereon. Surely that place in which ''there shall be no more 
death," must be far removed from this world. 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 125 

To this very plausible objection, we reply, that death, strictly 
speaking, is not natural decay, but unnatural or premature decay. 
Besides, one may be dead in one respect, or sense, and yet alive 
in other respects. The Scriptures speak of him who is dead to 
sin, as being alive to righteousness ; and of him as being dead 
in trespasses and sins, who is governed only, or mainly, by his 
carnal appetites. The premature extinguishment of the light of 
the body, the eye, is death to the seeing ; premature and con- 
firmed deafness, is death to the hearing ; the premature decay 
of the mental faculties, is death to the reasoning ; that which 
absolutely prevents the accomplishment of a cherished purpose 
is death to the hopes by which it was animated ; and every one 
who willfully, or heedlessly, violates God's law is for a time, 
at least, dead to holiness. When Adam, the first man, ate of 
the forbidden fruit, he became by that act, and during its per- 
formance, at least, dead to holiness. God forbade him to eat of 
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, saying: ^^for in the 
day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. ' ' He did eat 
thereof, and, in the eating, died to holiness. But God can raise 
the dead. Indeed, according to the Divine Economy, we have 
seen that a seed, at least, is not quickened, except it die. The 
seed of God's spirit in the soul, contains a vital germ, whose 
mighty power can quicken even those who are dead in trespasses 
and sins. By its power, we believe our first parents were saved 
from eternal death, and that myriads of dead souls, since their 
day, have been quickened by it, and enabled to walk in newness 
of life. Says Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, ^^And you 
hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins/' 
Says Jesus, '^Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never 
die.'' 

That which prevents the full development of any living thing, 
is, to the extent of the prevention, death to it. The cutting 
down of a stalk of corn, while the seed upon it is still quite im- 
mature, is death to it and, of course, to its reproduction ; but if 
it be allowed to develop fully, and to finally wither away, it 



126 DA V DA WNING, 

cannot be said to die, for the reason that it has made ample pro- 
vision for the reproduction or multiplication of itself. While 
the plant was in course of development, its reproduction was in 
doubt, but now that it has developed to the full ripe ear, although 
the plant has seemed to die, its manifold reproduction is, at least,, 
possible. 

The language of the Scriptures concerning the Garden of 
Eden, the trees thereof, and the acts and situation of our first 
parents in connection therewith, is, we believe, allegorical. It 
will be observed that the description of the tree of the knowledge 
of good and evil is, that it was '*good for food, and pleasant to 
the eyes; '* *^ why then,'* it may be asked, *^were our first parents 
forbidden to eat of its fruit?'* We reply, that, in our belief, 
this tree represents excess. The other trees of the garden furnished 
an abundant supply of fruit, which was also good for food, and 
of which they might freely eat. To eat of more than they fur- 
nished, was to indulge in excess: excess diminished the vital 
forces of their natures, and, to the extent of the impairment, they 
died. Hence our first parents, in this act of disobedience, not 
only died to holiness of spirit, but depraved their earthly natures, 
and brought death to their bodies also. After they had fallen, 
their vitiated appetites and unholy passions became to them as 
a flaming sword turning every way, and opposing their access to 
the ^' tree of life." 

Had Adam lived in strict accordance with the law of God, 
he doubtless would not have died, but in time would have slept 
his last sleep on earth, and been gathered home like corn full 
ripe, and would have left behind him the acts of a righteous and 
holy life, to germinate and develop as seeds, for the unalloyed 
happiness of his offspring. But he disobeyed, and so death, i. e., 
premature decay, came upon him and all mankind — for all, to 
some extent, have inherited his defects. The words of the warning 
were: *^ In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely 
die.'* It is as though God had said, My son I have made thee 
in my own image, and thou art therefore as free to choose or re- 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 127 

ject whatsoever thou wilt, as I am free to do mine own pleasure. 
Thou art, therefore, free to choose wisdom or folly, good or evil. 
If thou wilt choose good, and follow it, thou shalt continue on the 
earth until thy cup of happiness shall be full ; and like a creature, 
which, after a day full of active enjoyment, sinks to sleep, and 
rises in the morning invigorated and refreshed, and ready for the 
enjoyment of another day, thou, in the fullness of thy well-spent 
years, shalt also sink to rest, and rise renewed, and ready for the 
full enjoyment of eternal day. Therefore indulge not in excess, 
for it is evil, touch not the forbidden fruit, for in the day that 
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt become a dying man, and dying 
thou shalt die. Thou shalt pass away before thy day on earth 
should close. Thy excess shall cause thee to become indolent 
and wanton, and the Garden of Pleasure, which I have put thee 
in to dress and keep, shall be neglected. Through thy neglect, 
thorns and thistles shall spring up, and choke both the goodly 
tree and herb, and thorns and thistles shall multiply so greatly, 
that, in order to get thy bread out of the ground, t|^u shalt be 
compelled to do it in the sweat of thy face. Besides, through 
thy indolence and neglect, and the subtle promptings of thy 
passions and desires, selfishness and hate shall spring up like 
thorns and thistles in thy heart, and the seed of my Spirit which 
I have planted within thee shall be choked. But, whether thou 
obeyest my law or not, I will not forget that thou art my son. 
If thou shouldst wander from me, and thy sufferings and penitence 
should prompt thee to return, I will have compassion on thee, and 
receive thee back with joy, for I am the Lord thy God, thy Cre- 
ator, and thy Redeemer. 

We have said that love is life, that selfishness and hate is death. 
Love is life because it seeks to benefit and not to injure, to save 
and not to destroy. ** Love,'' says Paul, '' worketh no ill to his 
neighbor." **We know,*' says the beloved John, ^'that we 
have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. 
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever 
hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer 



128 DA Y DA WNING. 

hath eternal life abiding in him.'* ^' Love '* and ^^ eternal life" 
may be regarded as convertible terms. They express cause and 
effect, love the cause of eternal life, eternal life the effect of love. 
We believe this Divine, or Disinterested Principle, will become 
stronger and stronger among men, and eventually prevail over 
all opposition ; while selfishness and hate, which is death, will be- 
come weaker and weaker, until they shall finally be destroyed. 
Christ Jesus, the Great Captain of our salvation, overcame the 
power of death, and brought life and immortality to light; and 
we believe the spiritual warfare will go on until, as darkness takes 
its flight before the rising day, every vestige of selfishness and 
hate shall finally disappear. The Destroyer shall be destroyed, 
death shall die. Says Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, 
^' The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.'' 

Now as evil can be banished from the world by the power of 
God's grace, we believe it eventually will be. We believe that 
God perfects his work, in time, wherever he commences it. Not 
one jot or one tittle of his purposes shall fail; all shall eventually 
be fulfilled. Divine love shall finally be victorious everywhere. 
God's will shall be done in earth as it is in heaven. 

We believe, therefore, that the time will come when God shall 
not only wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no 
more sorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain, upon the earth, 
but when, even here, selfishness and hate being banished, there 
shall, in the best sense, be also no more death. 

^^ But why was not man so organized in the beginning, that 
selfishness and hate could have had no influence over him ? Ad- 
mitting that he had the power to choose either good or evil, why 
was he not so constituted that he would naturally and undeviat- 
ingly incline to the good ? Why, if selfishness is so fraught with 
evil, was man not created with sensibilities so refined and deli- 
cate that selfishness would have been regarded by him as odious 
and repulsive?" 

We reply, that man is a composite being. He possesses a 
physical, an intellectual, and a moral nature ; and it is just as 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 129 

necessary, for the preservation and perpetuation of the race upon 
the earth, that these should be properly proportioned to each 
other in him, as that the ingredients which go to make up any 
desired compound, should be united in certain proportions to 
each other in it. It was in the beginning especially important 
that man's physical nature should be prominently considered, 
for this constituted the foundation or base which was to support 
the other parts of his being, and through which they were to be 
manifested. If the foundation had been constructed of fine or 
delicate materials, the entire human edifice might have endured 
but a little time. It was, therefore, necessary that the first man 
should be chiefly, or largely, of the earth, earthy. True, it was 
not at all necessary that he should be selfish, for there was, doubt- 
less, abundant provision made upon the earth for the supply of 
all his wants. But as he was of the earth, earthy, and, as we 
have seen, at first necessarily ignorant and inexperienced, he 
easily fell into errors or mistakes, and these quickly grew into 
faults. The fault of selfishness soon became conspicuous, so much 
so that the very first-born of Adam and Eve was a murderer, not 
only in thought, but in deed. And with sorrow we confess that 
the spirit of Cain still continues in the earth. Even yet the 
question is, virtually, often asked, and sometimes with, at least, 
apparent ingenuousness, ^^ Am I my brother's keeper? " 

With the doubter, and the unbeliever, we agree that the fall 
of man exhibits an apparent weakness or defect in the Divine 
Economy. But they may be assured that there is neither weak- 
ness nor defect in any of God's plans. Before the work of crea- 
tion was commenced, the plan of redemption was conceived, and 
we rejoice that the Lord, our God, is not only our Creator, but 
that he is also our Redeemer. 

But, if it was necessary in the beginning to make man, the 
creature, '^ subject to vanity," why was he not so constituted that 
the continuance of selfishness and hate in the earth should, at the 
farthest, have been of short duration? 

We reply, that, although the time may seem long to us, it 



130 DAY DAWNING. 

really will be of short duration. In compartson with the 
millions of ages that are passed, and of the millions that are to 
come, one day is almost as a thousand years, and a thousand 
years as one day: both, in comparison with eternity, are but '' as 
a tale that is told." And, as in comparison with eternity, one 
day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, so, 
in comparison with the extent of the Universe, one rod is as a 
thousand miles, and a thousand miles as one rod : both are almost 
as nothing in comparison with the immense distances which 
intervene between many of the heavenly bodies, or in compari- 
son even with the extent of the heavenly bodies themselves col- 
lectively considered — the great globe on which we live, with its 
circumference of twenty-five thousand miles, being itself exceed- 
ingly minute in comparison with the immensity of the universe 
of matter. 

We are lost in wonder, love and praise, as we contemplate the 
amazing goodness and providence of that Being, who, although 
he is ^^the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,'* and 
who holds the Universe in the hollo\y of his hand, nevertheless 
observes with pity even the sparrow's fall, and, with Fatherly 
care, numbers or protects even the very hairs of our head. 

As a thousand years is but a brief space in comparison with 
eternity, so, doubtless, the time, during which man has occupied 
the earth, is also, in comparison with the eternal ages, very brief, 
and we marvel not that so little, but that so much has been 
accomplished for the good of man in so short a time. The fact 
that so much has been already done in his behalf, strengthens our 
faith that more will be also quickly accomplished. The prophe- 
cies of the beloved John conclude with the encouraging words — 
the last of the Scripture prophecy: ^^ Surely I come quickly. 
Amen." And, with the beloved disciple, we most gladly re- 
spond, *^Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 

In another part of this discussion, we have shown, we think, 
to the satisfaction of contemplative minds, that, to be happy, 
and in the image of God, man could not have been other than 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 131 

a free-agent, and a progressive being. A repetition in substance 
of what we have said upon this subject may not be amiss. 

God is the Infinite and uncreated One. He delights in com- 
panionship. He could not have enjoyed the Universe as a Soli- 
tary Intelligence. It would seem impossible that he could have 
created other beings in all respects Infinite like himself, and 
impossible therefore that there could be more than one Infi- 
nite Being. Or, if God could have filled the Universe with 
such associates^ they would not have enjoyed the society of 
each other, for the reason that each one would have been 
exactly like the others, and each all-sufficient in himself. Un- 
der such circumstances the Universe would have been a Great 
Monotony, and therefore uninteresting. God's companions, 
therefore, are his children, who, although not possessing infinite 
knowledge or power, are nevertheless created in his image. 
They are intended to resemble him in all respects, save that they 
are finite, and he is Infinite. They are, for instance, as free to 
do their own pleasure as he is free to do his. As men enjoy 
God, their offspring, and each other, so our Great Father enjoys 
his existence with and through his children. The rational enjoy- 
ment of existence is the principal object for which both God and 
man exist. Man could not have enjoyed existence except as a 
free-agent. Miracles, at least, as a rule, are, we believe, incon- 
sistent with the Divine Economy: for, while they might, perhaps, 
have been made to contribute somewhat to man's convenience, 
they would have interfered with his free-agency, and, to the ex- 
tent of the interference, would have diminished his happiness, 
and impaired his resemblance or likeness to his Creator. The 
plan of progress and development by imperceptible degrees of 
growth, or by what we call natural law, was therefore adopted as 
the one in which full scope could be given for the exercise, on 
the part of man, of unfettered freedom; and the one which, af- 
fording the largest and most agreeable variety of situations, cir- 
cumstances and conditions, would secure to him more happiness 
than could have been derived from any other. Man's progress 



132 DA V DA WNING, 

and development, from moment to moment, are therefore, proba- 
bly, beyond the reach of his (man's) discernment or discovery. 
Even the germ, or life principle of seed, has thus far baffled all 
the attempts of science to analyze, or satisfactorily explain it : 
so that if there is anything in the plan adopted for man's happi- 
ness, of a supernatural character, the most critical investigations 
of science have, thus far, failed to discover it. Apparently, God 
has not permitted anything whatever to interfere with man's per- 
fect free-agency. 

The plan of progress and development by imperceptible de- 
grees of growth necessarily involves the beginnings of human 
existence in ignorance and inexperience, and, at first sight, this 
looks like a weakness or defect in the Divine Economy; but, in 
reality, through this its greatest strength is made manifest. It is 
through this apparent weakness that God discloses the fullness of 
the Divine perfections. If, in the beginning of the world, man 
had been so organized as to have been beyond the power of 
temptation, while, it is no doubt true, he could have known the 
iove of God, still he could not have known it in all its fullness. 
As he would not have fallen, he would not have needed a Re- 
deemer. It would have been seen that God loved the world, 
but it would not have been known, as it is and has been 
known, that God so loved the world as to be willing to endure 
in its behalf the very extreme of suffering and sacrifice. Men 
would have seen the manifest and manifold tokens of God's 
love, as they are exhibited in the works of nature, but they would 
have known but little, if anything, of the depth and height of 
the Divine benevolence. They would not have been commanded 
to overcome evil with good, for there would have been no evil 
to overcome. They would not have been commanded to love 
their enemies for they would have had none. God would 
have us know his love in all its length and breadth, and depth 
and height, and this fullness of knowledge man never could have 
had if, notwithstanding his ignorance and inexperience, he had 
not fallen into temptation. 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 133 

^*But/* it may be asked, ^Mid not God, by this plan, ordain 
evil that good might come? Did he not adopt one extreme, in 
order that he might apply the opposite to correct it?'* We 
repeat again, that to be happy and in the image of God, man 
could not have been created other than a free-agent, and a pro- 
gressive being, and that these conditions necessarily subjected man 
to ignorance and inexperience in the earlier periods of his exist- 
ence. That man was made subject to ignorance or vanity, '^ not 
willingly ^^^ but because^ to make him in God's image, it was un- 
avoidable; that, instead of subjecting him to the liability of 
being tempted in order that good might be brought out of evil 
after man had fallen into temptation, God over-ruled, for the 
good of man, what resulted from a plan, which plan being in the 
' divine judgment necessary, and the best that could be devised for 
the happiness of man, was therefore, all things being considered, 
unavoidable. Indeed nothing could more completely demon- 
strate the fullness of God's love toward man, than the fact that, 
rather than limit, in any respect, man's opportunities for rational 
enjoyment, God subjected him to the liability of being tempted, 
and provided for him, in the event of his fall, not only a way of 
escape from evil, but made the fall itself, instrumentally, the 
means of disclosing to man the fullness of the Divine perfections. 
What was apparently, ''sown in weakness," we may be assured, 
will be ''raised in power." If any, affected, or judging, by the 
still prevailing evidences of human weakness in the world, are 
disposed to doubt, let such remember that we are in the hands 
of Infinite wisdom and Omnipotent love. "The foolishness of 
God," says Paul, "is wiser than men, and the weakness of God 
is stronger than men." 

In order that man may be happy, he must, as we have seen, be 
a progressive being, and progress not supernaturally but naturally, 
or by imperceptible degrees of growth or advancement. This is 
true of all the constituents of his being, physical, intellectual, 
and moral. True his progress in any of these may at one time 
be more rapid than it is at another; but, in all its phases, his 



134 DAY DA WNING. 

progress must, from moment to moment, be without the aid of 
what we call the supernatural, and therefore, be beyond the reach 
of human detection or discernment: even the earliest dawning of 
his existence must be also undiscernible. An individual, par- 
ticularly in his earlier years, develops slowly, in order that the 
freshness and joyousness of youth may, for the happiness of him- 
self and others, be prolonged, and also that the foundations of 
his whole being may be firmly laid ; but, as he approaches man's 
estate, his development becomes more rapid, and he then quickly 
attains to the fullness of his physical strength and stature. And, 
as is the progress and development of the individual from year 
to year, so, we believe, has been, and will be, the progress of the 
race of man, from age to age. The progress and development 
of a human being, and of the race of man, as a race, toward per- 
fection, may be compared to the unfolding of a bud, which at 
first develops slowly, but expands rapidly as soon as it reveals the 
first bright glimpses of the opening flower. If man were con- 
stituted to be more progressive than he is, he would be unsatisfied 
with his enjoyments or attainments from day to day; if consti- 
tuted to be less progressive, or, to be what we sometimes term, 
conservative, life might, in time, become uninteresting to him, 
and eventually be a dreary monotony. If man's history, during 
the ages past, were a record exhibiting little or no progress 
on the part of the race, we should feel disposed to regard our 
earthly future with feelings akin to hopelessness and despair. If, 
on the other hand, it were a record of useful enterprises hastily 
abandoned for others of a more plausible, but less practical, 
character; of comforts and improvements never enjoyed, because 
of a restless desire to abandon the old, and adopt or invent new 
ones, our earthly future would still have but few, if any, pleasant 
anticipations. The record of the past is full of encouragement 
for the future; nevertheless he fails to properly understand the 
true object of existence, who looks to the future only for happi- 
ness, and does not seek to improve, and rationally enjoy, the 
present hour. 



WHAT ARE WE TO BE? 135 

Admitting that man, to be happy, must be a progressive being, 
the question may arise, ^*Has not his fall seriously retarded his 
advancement? and, if so, has it not seriously interfered with his 
happiness ?*' If a doubter could prove that, in the main, the 
fall had seriously retarded man's progress in what is good, there 
might be a shadow of excuse for his doubts. But, we believe, as 
God made the fall, instrumentally, the means of disclosing the 
fullness of God's love to man, so he made every thing connected 
with the fall, instrumentally, the means of man's advantageous 
progress, and development. It is possible, and we think prob- 
able, that man's material interests have, up to this time, been 
developed as much, or perhaps more, by his selfishness, than they 
would have been by his unselfishness; and, as to his moral in- 
terests, we believe more has been, and will be gained for him, 
by his redemption from the fall, than there has been, and will be, 
lost by him through the fall. 

We have said that an individual, particularly in his earlier 
years, develops slowly; but, that as he approaches man's estate, 
his development becomes rapid, and that he then quickly attains 
to the fullness of his physical strength and stature ; and, that as is 
the progress and development of the individual from year to year, 
so we believe, has been, and will be, the progress of the race of 
man from age to age. During all the ages past, and particularly 
until about the beginning of the present century, man appeared 
to progress slowly in most respects ; so slowly indeed, that many 
despaired of ever seeing any considerable improvement or refor- 
mation in the world in any thing. The belief was commonly 
entertained by religious sects, and found its way among many of 
their confessions of faith, that God had a select few in the world, 
who, by his fore-ordination, and through much tribulation, 
should inherit the promises; but that all the rest of the world 
were hopelessly reprobate: and, there are persons even now 
who consider the world so given over to wickedness, that they 
are in constant expectation of its destruction by fire, in order, 
as they say, that the wicked and their evil influence may be des- 



136 DA Y DA WNING. 

troyed; and some of them are laboring earnestly, hoping that, 
through their instrumentality, many souls will be enabled to es- 
cape from the general destruction which, they believe, impends. 

But let all such desponding souls look up, for, behold, the 
redemption of man from evil, even in this world, draweth nigh. 
As a boy, approaching man^s estate, lays aside his toys, so the 
maturing world is beginning to ^^ put away its childish things/' 
Let such desponding ones remember that '^ where sin abounds 
grace does much more abound ' ' ; that the darkest part of the 
night is that which just precedes the dawn ; that '' He who clothes 
the grass with beauty, which to-day is in the field, and to-morrow 
is cast into the oven/' shall, in time, much more clothe the- 
world with the beautiful robe of righteousness — a spotless robe, 
and one which can never be destroyed. 

The American Aloe, or what is generally known as the Century ' 
Plant, is, in its progress and development, probably a better type 
of the progress of the race of man, and of man's expected perfec- 
tion on the earth, than any other plant that could be mentioned. 
Indeed it would seem as though this plant had been given to 
man to teach him, by a striking example, the object of his own 
apparently slow advancement. While most other plants bloom 
from year to year, it seems wonderful that this should bloom but 
once, and that only after a course of years. For a decade, and 
sometimes for scores of years, this plant, armed at all points, as 
with spears, to repel the attacks of its enemies, appears to have 
but one, and that a selfish object, in view, viz : to increase in 
size and strength. Millions of human beings are born and pass 
away, and still no change is seen in the apparently selfish pur- 
pose of the plant. Its only object seems to be to enlarge its 
borders and increase its stores of fibre and fatness : when, lo ! 
from the very heart, or centre of the plant, a spire is sent aloft, 
from whose summit is soon displayed a marvel of floral magnifi- 
cence; and that which for a considerable part of a century 
appeared to be wrapped in self, now spends its energies to the 
admiration and delight of the wondering gaze of men. 



SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 137 

The plants, generally, in their progress and development, are, 
however, also good types, we believe, of man's progress and ex- 
pected perfection on the earth; a blade of corn, for example, 
from the period of its germination to its expansion into the well- 
developed spire and leaf, spends its time apparently in the inter- 
est of self alone. It appropriates, unhesitatingly, all the availa- 
ble means for its development that are within its reach; but, 
having attained to the fullness of its strength, it makes provision 
not only for the reproduction of itself, but provides also for the 
good of man ; the ear appears, and soon develops to the full corn 
in the ear, and that which seemed so selfish in its first estate, 
now pours out its golden treasures in showers of blessing. And 
so the very selfishness of man will, ultimately, we believe, be 
converted into that which shall contribute toward his happiness 
and perfection, even here upon the earth. 



XL 
SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 



IN the early part of this discussion we said that '* the day was 
manifestly dawntng, and that the signs of the times would 
seem to indicate, that ere long the light of truth, as it was exem- 
plified in the life and death of Jesus Christ, would break over the 
whole earth, and banish ignorance and selfishness, and all the 
evils which have arisen therefrom.** Let us consider some of the 
tokens which seem to point to a day not far distant as the time 
for the realization of the hopes which these tokens inspire. 

First, and foremost, we have the significant fact, that, par- 
ticularly within the present century, the gospel of this same 
Jesus has been proclaimed to the people of every land; and 



138 DA V DA WNING. 

that not only the civilized and enlightened have been converted 
to it, but that many who had been living as brute beasts have 
been induced to change their course, and been enabled by its 
influence* and power to walk in newness of life. It is true this 
gospel has been disseminated by laborers who have differed 
greatly in their methods of planting or sowing the seeds of Chris- 
tian truth; and who have differed also in their modes of cultiva- 
tion in the various fields of Christian labor — their differences 
sometimes culminating into open and bitter hostility toward each 
other — and yet, notwithstanding all such disadvantages and hin- 
drances, this precious gospel is spreading more and more, and 
larger returns and better fruits are constantly being gathered into 
the garner of the Great Husbandman. Its influence upon the 
institutions of the world has, within the present century, been 
very marked. Serfdom and Slavery, those institutions of dark- 
ness, have almost disappeared before the gospel light, and they 
will doubtless soon be counted among the things of the past ; 
and we believe this gospel will still further promote, and finally 
secure, perfect equality of rights to all men. It may now, with 
more truth than ever before, be said, that ''uneasy lies the head 
that wears a crown/* The progress which has been made in the 
arts and sciences during the same period — especially in those 
which are useful in every-day life — has also been very great; and 
so wonderful, and even marvelous, are many of the inventions 
and improvements, which have been produced in this brief space, 
that we might almost suppose they had been called into existence 
by supernatural agency, if we had not the evidence of our senses 
and observations to the contrary. Familiar as we are with the 
movements and operations of the locomotive, the steam printing 
press, and the electric telegraph, we confess we seldom contemplate 
them without wonder and emotion. The locomotive moves as if 
propelled by the power of a mighty but unseen arm ; the myriads of 
useful pages stamped and thrown oft" by the steam printing press, 
enlightening the minds of multitudes, seem like types of the 
leaves of the '' tree of life,'' which shall be given '' for the heal- 



SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 139 

ing of the nations;'* and the electric telegraph, with its acute 
sensibilities, enabling men, though thousands of miles apart, to 
converse with each other as if standing face to face, we regard 
as a beautiful symbol of that Divine Intelligence whose^presence 
is everywhere. Every improvement in science, art, literature, 
or morals, is a *^ voice in the wilderness*' of human ignor- 
ance and error, crying, ** Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make 
straight in the desert a highway for our God; " and the words of 
Scripture prophecy give us the comforting assurance that ''Every 
valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made 
low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough 
places plain; tliat the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and 
that all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath 
spoken it." 

This prophecy has, to a considerable extent, already had both 
a literal and a spiritual fulfillment upon the earth. In the mak- 
ing of modern highways, particularly railways, mountains or hills 
have been made low, valleys have been exalted, crooked or un- 
even places made straight or level, and rough places made plain. 
By the influence and power of Christ's gospel, many, who in their 
natural dispositions, and by education, were crooked, perverse, 
and rough, and even fierce and cruel, have become gentle, docile, 
benevolent, and forgiving: mountains and hills of human pride 
have been made low, and humility has been honored and exalted. 
Says Jesus, ''Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted." 

"Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a 
cloud of witnesses; " seeing that the past and present are so full 
of encouragement, and the future so hopeful, what ought we to 
be? Ought we not to be ready and willing "to put aside every 
weight, and especially the sin of selfishness which doth so easily 
beset us, and, running with patience the race that is set before 
us," to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling 
of God in Christ Jesus"? Firmly believing that "if any man 
be in Christ, he is a new creature," that with such "old things 



140 DA V DA WNING. 

are passed away, and all things are become new/* ought we not 
as co-laborers with God, to gladly hasten the coming of that day, 
when, over the whole earth, the prophecy, '^Behold I make all 
things new,'' shall be fulfilled? 

^'But,'' it may be asked, ''if the former things are to pass away, 
and all things are to be made new upon the earth, through what 
agency or agencies shall so great a change be wrought? and in 
what important respect will the new order of things, or the things 
which are to be in the world, differ from the old, or that which 
has been ? ' * 

We confess we approach the further and more definite con- 
sideration of this, the most important branch of our subject, viz. : 
What are we to be? with much hesitation, if not with trepidation. 

A radical and sudden change in the political or social con- 
dition of any people, has, in all the past, been generally eftected 
through much confusion, suffering and blood ; and he who pro- 
poses the sudden or early introduction of any important reform, 
must therefore expect to be strongly, if not fiercely, opposed by 
many well-meaning, but worldly-prudent persons. For reasons 
which have been explained, men, generally, are so organized as 
to be somewhat unprogressive, or what may be termed, conserv- 
ative, in their natures. Many also dread the inconveniences and 
discomforts which sudden changes are apt to produce. They 
prefer, rather, ''to bear the ills they have, than fly to something 
which they know not of.'* The proclaimers of new or radical 
doctrines have therefore been generally opposed, and some of 
them have been put to death. And yet the progressive element 
in society is not only important, but, indeed, quite indispensable, 
for without it, as we have seen, the world would become mono- 
tonous and uninteresting. It is true that reformers, themselves, 
in their zeal, sometimes make serious mistakes. They are fre- 
quently, if not generally, earnest and impulsive men, and their 
enthusiasm is quite apt to get the better of their judgment. Re- 
garding, with much apprehension, the influence of the evils that 
are in the world, and perceiving, clearly, as they think, the causes 



SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 141 

which have produced those evils, and the means by which they 
may be removed, they cannot understand why others should 
seem so apparently unconcerned about them; and being, them- 
selves, in earnest, and desiring to awaken others from their real, 
or supposed, apathy, they not unfrequently indulge in strong, 
and seemingly extravagant, and unbecoming language, and some- 
times in unwise measures. This provokes hostility on the part 
of many worldly-wise or worldly-prudent persons, and the career 
of the reformer is consequently, sometimes brought to a speedy 
close. Even Jesus of Nazareth, our blessed Exemplar — of whom 
it was said, even by worldly men, ^* Never man spake like this 
man'' — even he sometimes spoke in language which, to his 
hearers, must have seemed extravagant and even absurd. With 
what wonder and astonishment he must have been regarded, when 
he uttered the startling words, '*Ye must be born again," or 
" Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except ye eat of the flesh of the 
Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and 
I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, 
and my blood is drink indeed." What feelings of anger he must 
have aroused in those who prided themselves upon their rigid con- 
formity to the requirements of the letter of the Jewish law, when 
he said, *^ Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for 
ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer : 
therefore ye shall receive the greater condemnation. Woe unto 
you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye compass sea and 
land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him 
two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves." ^^Ye blind 
guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel." '* Woe 
unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye are like unto 
whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are 
within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even 
so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are 
full of hypocrisy and iniquity." How strangely, to the worldly- 
prudent, must have sounded the words, ^'I am come to send 



I 



142 BA V DA WNING. 



fire on the earth ; and what will I, if it be already kindled? '* 
** Suppose ye I am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, 
Nay, but rather division : for from henceforth there shall be five 
in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against 
the father ; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter 
against the mother ; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in- 
law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law/' How 
almost insane he must have appeared to the buyers and sel- 
lers in the temple at Jerusalem, when, overthrowing the tables 
of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 
he said to them, *' It is written, My house shall be called the 
house of prayer ] but ye have made it a den of thieves.'* And 
yet this act was done, and these earnest and uncompromising 
words were uttered by him who was, and is, the '* Prince of 
Peace," whose advent was hailed with the words, ^' Glory to 
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.'' 
These severe and earnest words were scourgings inflicted not in 
a vindictive, but in a loving spirit; and were, and are, intended to 
arouse men from their forget fulness, and apparent perverseness. 
Says Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, *' Whom the Lord loveth. 
he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." 

A prominent American ecclesiastic, now deceased, once said 
that there was '' nothing more powerful than falsehood, except 
truth alone." It may also, we believe, with truth be said, that, 
up to the present time, there is nothing which has divided man 
against his fellow-man, more than Christianity, except selfish- 
ness alone. But the difference between the two lies in this: 
that Christianity, while she incidentally disturbs the stagnant 
elements and institutions of society, does so to reform them, and 
because only through her earnest, active and benevolent spirit 
can the perfect happiness and unity of the race of man be event- 
ually secured ; while selfishness, though also active and earnest, , 
tends, in its very nature, to continued and increasing divisions, , 
discord and death. 



SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 143 

In view of the continued contest between good an-d evil for 
the mastery among men, the philanthropist must oppose, at 
once, present lesser evils which could be eradicated without seri- 
ously disturbing society, or else oppose them when they become 
so great as to threaten the disruption of all social order. His 
action, in either case, will be denounced by some. If he 
promptly oppose lesser evils, he will be charged with endeavor- 
ing to excite unnecessary alarm; if he defer action, and oppose 
the greater ones, he will be denounced as a restless agitator, and 
as an enemy to the peace of society. But, having unfaltering 
faith in God, and being encouraged by the revelations of all the 
past, he knows that, sooner or later, all evil must be extirpated ; 
and, as a faithful sentinel on guard, jealous for the rights and 
happiness of his fellow-beings, he regards it not only a duty, but 
a pleasure to give them timely warning of the insidious approaches 
of destructive foes. If, therefore, in our desire for the good of 
mankind, we should, in any respect, propose what, at first sight, 
may seem impracticable or Utopian, we hope whatever error we 
may make in this regard, will be charged to our zeal, and not to 
any unworthy motive. We believe it is not an easy matter to 
thoroughly know one's-self, or to see ourselves as others see us, 
and shall, therefore, at all times, in all that we may say or do, 
be thankful, not only for the kind consideration of our friends, 
but also for the just criticisms of our opponents. 

Returning to the question: **If the former things are to pass 
away, and all things are to be made new upon the earth, through 
what agency or agencies shall so great a change be wrought ? and 
in what important respect will the new order of things, or the things 
which are to be in the world, differ from the old, or that which 
has been?'* We reply: That all beneficent changes in society 
are wrought through the co-operation of man with God. It is 
true, the words of the prophecy represent God as saying: ^'Be- 
hold, /make all things new ; '' and, with this declaration, it would 
seem as if man might be entirely passive; and, nothing doubting, 
wait for God to fulfill his promise. And so man confidently 



144 DA V DA WNING, 

might, if the omnipotence of God were all that were required to 
regenerate or reform the world. But God has determined that 
we shall be his companions ; and he has determined that we shall 
be so ^^not by compulsory might or power on his part, but by 
the attractive influence of his Holy Spirit" upon our hearts. 
He will indeed make all things new; but the work will all be 
done in and through his children. God would have us all enjoy 
our existence with him, and he will aid us most when we seek to 
know him, and cheerfully co-operate with him in all that he does 
in our behalf. Not that he is ever disposed to withhold any good 
from us, far from it, for his loving-kindness is abundantly displayed 
in all his works; but because we cannot enjoy his goodness, 
fully, except as we seek it, neither could he enjoy us, fully, ex- 
cept as we seek him. God did not make us to be mere automa- 
tons ; nor were we made to be only imitators of him ; we were 
made to be like him, and in fellowship with him : and as he 
constantly delights in promoting and increasing our happiness, it 
should be our highest pleasure to love and glorify him, and to 
love and to promote the happiness of each other. Only in this 
way can God truly enjoy man, and men truly enjoy God and each 
other. The agencies, then, through whicK all things will be 
made new, are, and will be, both divine and human. God will 
gladly work in and for us, whenever and wherever he finds us 
gladly working with and for him and for each other. As we 
journey on through life let us all remember, therefore, that no 
substantial good for ourselves and others can be truly enjoyed 
except as we appreciate and seek it ; and the appreciation and 
the seeking must, we believe, be mainly, if not entirely, voluntary, 
or uncompelled and free. May we all fully realize the weight of ' 
our responsibilities, and, as they press upon our convictions or judg- 
ments, may we gladly work with God, and do those things which 
shall be well-pleasing to him, and beneficial to each other and all 
mankind. 

With respect to the interests and operations of society we \ 
believe the new will differ from the old, mainly in the fact that, , 



SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 145 

although there will still be the weak and the strong, the promi- 
nent and the obscure, there will nevertheless, in all things, be 
perfect equality of rights. There will be nothing whatever 
which will divide man against his fellow-man : there will be no 
monopolies, and no exclusive privileges: the popular motto, 
*^ equal and exact justice to all,'* will not only be honored in 
theory, but faithfully observed in practice ; and selfishness will 
become, and appear, so odious, that even all individual, or pri- 
vate ownership of property, will be abolished. All property will, 
thenceforth, be held only in common or by the state : and, even 
between the states themselves, there will be perfect equality of 
rights and identity of interests; and their intercourse will be 
characterized by acts denoting mutual good-will. 

We are aware that the proposition, or even suggestion, of the 
propriety of such a radical change in the organization of society 
is, of itself, startling; and that the attempt to put such a theory 
into immediate practice, would excite strong opposition on the 
part of many; as it would interfere with habits and usages which 
may be considered as constituting almost a part of our very 
natures : and we should stop right here, and now, and proceed 
no further with this discussion, were we not deeply convinced 
that such a change is eminently desirable, and that the time is 
near at hand when, for the peace and happiness of our country, 
and indeed of the whole world, it will become absolutely neces- 
sary. We shall now attempt to show why, at the present time, 
more than ever before, this change is desirable and necessary, 
and how, at least in our own country, it may or will be effected. 

It is undoubtedly true that men ought never to have been 
divided against their fellow-men ; that man ought always to have 
been his brother's keeper, and that man has never had any occa- 
sion whatever to be selfish. God, his Father, has always pro- 
vided amply for all his wants. But, we have seen, that to be a 
free-agent, and in the image of God, man was, necessarily, 
''made subject to vanity," or, in other words, subject to ignor- 
ance and inexperience ; and that he was therefore liable to the 

G 



146 JDA V DA WNING. 

commission of errors or mistakes. Errors, or mistakes, were 
committed by him, and their consequences have continued to 
affect, more or less injuriously, the happiness of the world, and 
now weigh heavily upon it; and it is from the burden of these 
unhappy consequences that the world needs, especially now, to 
be relieved. The necessity for such relief is becoming more 
and more pressing, for the reason that the augmentation of the 
population of the world from age to age, and especially during 
the past few centuries, has been so great that the strife for sepa- 
rate subsistance cannot be maintained much longer without the 
risk of inflicting serious injury upon society and the state. When 
the population on the earth numbered only a million of souls, 
there was ample room for the separate subsistence thereon of 
each and every human being; each could operate independently 
of his fellows without, necessarily, infringing upon the rights of 
any: and when, in a certain space of time, the population 
increased from one million of souls to two millions, there was 
still ample room; and when, in the course of centuries, it had 
reached even to two hundred millions, there was still room for 
separate subsistence ; but when, in course of time, it ran up from 
two hundred millions to four hundred millions, and then from 
four hundred millions to eight hundred millions, and, in a brief 
space, from eight hundred millions to its present number, say 
about fourteen hundred millions, separate subsistence became 
more and more difficult, and this difficulty will continue to 
increase, with the increasing augmentation of the population 
until the sharpness of competition, and the pressure of conflict- 
ing interests, will become so great that, to preserve society and 
the state from anarchy and destruction, the establishment of a 
new social system, whose basis shall be perfect equality of rights, 
will become an absolute necessity. We have reason to believe 
that the number of souls born now each year upon the earth is 
greater than was the aggregate of the population of the world at 
any time during the first few centuries immediately succeeding 
the creation of the first human pair. Contemporaneous with the 



SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 147 

rapidly augmenting increase of the population, particularly dur- 
ing the past century, wonderful improvements have been made 
in the useful arts, which, generally, greatly exceed in practical 
value those which were ever made before. During the past cen- 
tury also, our American Republic has been established, whose 
extent of area, firmness of basis, and liberality of principle, have 
no parallel in the history of the world : and it would seem very 
desirable that our manifold attainments in what is good, should 
at last be crowned by such an improvement in our social organi- 
zation as would be in keeping with, and enable us to fully enjoy 
them. All over the civilized world, the Capital and Labor ques- 
tion is being earnestly and anxiously discussed. The legal right of 
man to hold his fellow-man as property has, to a great extent, been 
actually abolished, and the reasons for such abolition apply also, 
we believe, to the proposed abolition of the legal ownership of 
every other kind of property held by man in his individual or 
private capacity. Indeed we think it is beyond dispute that, if 
the claim to the latter had not first been set up, the claim to the 
former would never have been made. The legal right of indi- 
viduals to hold their fellow-men as property, followed as a natural 
result of the legal right of individuals to hold property in houses, 
lands, and goods: therefore, if it was ever proper to abolish 
the former, it is also right, we believe, to abolish the latter. 
They are both evils of the same nature, differing only in their 
ability to inflict injury. The one was servitude in its extreme 
form, the other is servitude in a moderate form. The one is 
rapidly disappearing from the earth ; and, we believe, the time 
is not far distant when the other, also, will quickly pass away. 
The last words of the Scripture prophecy are: ''Surely I come 
quickly. Amen." This language, we believe, refers not only 
to the time, but also to the method of Christ's coming. He 
will not tarry: and, when he appears in power, the light of his 
Spirit, like the first bright rays of the sun in the early morn, will 
suddenly burst over the earth and flood it with the Divine glory 
and blessing. Servitude in all its forms, and every dark and sel- 



I 



148 DAY DAWNING. 

fish work, will quickly disappear before the effulgent rays of the 
Sun of Righteousness. 



XII. 
THE ^^OLD" AND THE ^^NEW." 

WE will now proceed, somewhat in detail^ to point out 
some of the prominent evils which, we believe, are in- 
separable from those social systems in which individual or private 
ownership of property is allowed and secured by usage or law; 
and to describe the blessings which we believe would flow from 
the merging of all individual or private interests into one com- 
mon interest. We shall, as we proceed, designate the former, 
or the systems which sustain individual or private ownership, as 
the ^* Old," and the latter, or the plan of community of property 
(which, we believe, will eventually supersede the former) as the 
*' New.'' We shall generally allude to such persons as own large 
or considerable property under the *^ Old," as *' Capital," and to 
those under it who own but little or no property, as ^^ Labor." 

Under the '^Old," men are, to a large extent, compelled to 
disregard the rights and interests of their fellow-men. The em- 
ployer, or capitalist, for instance, may be, and often is, inclined to 
be generous and humane toward those in his employ; but com- 
petition^ and the contingencies to which he is generally liable in 
the prosecution of his business, require him to obtain their ser- 
vices or labor at the lowest possible cost. Among these contin- 
gencies may be mentioned depreciation in the market value of 
merchandise and credits; depreciation in the market value of 
land, farm products, machinery, buildings, or water-craft. With 
all these discouraging possibilities, and even probabilities, mena- 



THE ''OLD'' AND THE ''NEWr 149 

cing him, is it wonderful that he should sometimes seem to act 
as if he had but little or no sympathy for his fellow-men ? What 
strengthens the belief or supposition, on the part of '^ labor,'' 
that ^* capital *' is harsh and unfeeling, is the fact that whilst the 
former is generally required to practice the strictest economy, 
the latter is generally able to obtain, at least, all the comforts of 
life. 

Now, we affirm that the fault of all this inequality is not pro- 
perly chargeable to any particular class. It is the fault or defect 
of the '^ Old,'' which we have inherited. It is not our fault that 
we have inherited it; but it will be our fault, and our great sor- 
row too, we believe, if we do not, at an early day, abolish it. 
It has been said, and we think truly, that '* tlie safe and general 
antidote against sorrow is employment;" but employment cannot 
be properly divided or distributed under the ** Old" : only under 
the '^ New " can this be justly done. When society, or the state, 
makes itself responsible for the comfort and happiness of every 
man within it, and every man responsible for the discharge of 
certain reasonable duties to it, then an appropriate place will be 
found for every man, and every man will be found in his place. 
Until then, '' equal and exact justice to all men " will be impos- 
sible. 

In the early ages of the world the population was divided into 
tribes or families, each tribe or family being generally governed 
by a head-man or chief. Under this tribal or patriarchal sys- 
tem of society, there was, in a certain sense, a community of 
interests. The population being sparse, the members of a family 
or tribe found it desirable to band together for mutual aid and 
protection, and so, to a certain extent, their rights and interests 
were enjoyed in common, or were, at least, closely identical. 
As the population increased however, and family ties became 
broken, the patriarchal system of government in civil affairs 
was generally succeeded by the monarchical. The selfishness 
into which man had fallen, through ignorance and inexperience, 
was then, to a greater extent than ever before, distinctly exhib- 



150 DA V DA WNING, 

ited. Confusion of tongues ensued, and antagonism in matters 
of worldly interests increased, and they have continued ever 
since, and still continue to interrupt, more or less, freedom of 
intercourse between man and his fellow-man. The different 
forms or systems under which men array themselves against each 
other have been, we believe, caused mainly by this antagonism 
of worldly interests. The contentions of political parties ; the 
contentions between different religious sects ; between different 
congregations of the same sect, and between individuals of the 
same congregation, and the difficulties which arise in any matter, 
whether between individuals, systems, sects, states, or nations, 
all originate, we believe, mainly, in the system of separate, and 
therefore antagonistic, worldly interests. The love of individual 
or private ownership of property is the root of all evil. We know 
the apostle Paul says that *' the love of money is the root of all 
evil.^' Now, by common consent, money is the representative 
under the '*01d'' of all kinds of property; but it is evident 
that, under the ^^ New,*' no such representative would be needed. 
As there would be no private ownership of property, there would, 
of course, be no buying nor selling, and, of course, no necessity 
for money. To say, therefore, that ^'the love of money is the 
root oid^S. evil,'' is simply to say, that ^'the love of owning any 
kind of property, by individual or private legal right, is the root 
of all evil.'* Can we wonder then that, under the ''Old,'' men 
seldom, if ever, continue to harmonize perfectly in anything ? 
As long as the relation of buyer and seller exists, the spirit of 
the buyer and the seller will manifest itself not only in the ordi- 
nary business of every-day life, but in the church, the state, and 
everywhere else. 

In all the relations of life this spirit of antagonism, or division, 
will continue to be more or less displayed as long as the ^' Old " 
endures. In state elections, for instance, parties are, usually, 
nearly equally divided, the majority sometimes constituting less 
than one per cent, of the whole number of votes cast: showing 
that even in public affairs where men might be supposed to gen- 



THE ''OLD'' AND THE ''NEWP 151 

erally unite without fear of materially affecting private interests, 
that even there discord or disagreement generally prevails. Is 
it to be expected then that '^ Capital '* and " Labor" can har- 
monize when other interests which, in some respects, would seem 
to be so nearly identical, are, nevertheless, so often at variance ? 

. We know it has been asserted that the interests of '^ Capital '' 
and *' Labor " are identical, and we admit that, to some extent, 
they are. They are identical so far as both are incidentally bene- 
fitted from the proceeds of the toil of *^ Labor '' when ^^ Capi- 
tal " can afford to employ '' Labor" ; but further than this we 
fail to perceive in what respect they are so. With the legal right 
on the part of ^^ Capital " to hire and discharge ^^ Labor" at 

^will, it would be hard to convince the latter that there is an un- 
irarying identity of interests naturally subsisting between it and 

"the former. The master has the legal right to ^^ barter, whip 
and sell * ' the slave ; but the slave has few or no legal rights 
which the master is bound to respect; and yet even the interests 
of master and slave are identical so far as both are sustained by 
the labor of the latter; but we apprehend they are not at all so 
in any other sense. The truth is, there can be no complete 
identity of interests anywhere except where there is complete 
mutual accountability, and there can be no complete mutual ac- 
countability under the ^^Old." ^^ Capital " can seldom, if ever, 
as we have seen, afford to deal generously, or even liberally, with 
''Labor," for competition, and the risks incident to all kinds 
of business, are constantly increasing, and give the former quite 
enough to do to protect its own interests from loss. Besides, 
with the aid of labor-saving machinery, the use of human mus- 
cles is, to a considerable extent, being superseded : the markets, 
by the aid of such machinery, are usually quickly supplied with 
an overstock of products, and, as a consequence, ''Labor" is 
subjected to interruption of employment — an interruption which 
has become so frequent that " Labor " is generally compelled to 
consume or exhaust while discharged, the little it is able to ac- 
cumulate while employed. " Capital " cannot afford, as a rule, 



152 DAY DA WNING. 

to allow ^^ Labor*' anything more than merely the right to 
exist : therefore, in the very nature of the case, there is, and can 
be, only to a limited extent, an identity of interests subsisting 
between them. We have reason to believe that ^^ Capital " 
sometimes, perhaps frequently, discharges ^^ Labor " for the pur- 
pose of limiting production, because the money value of products 
is usually enhanced as their supply is lessened, and so the profits 
of '' Capital,'* at least in certain cases, are actually enhanced by 
its withholding from ^^ Labor** the principal, if not the only 
means of the latter* s support. While it is true that, to some ex- 
tent, ^^ Labor** exercises a certain restraint or control over 
^^ Capital,** the important fact remains that the former can sel- 
dom prosecute any industrial enterprise, freely and effectively, 
independently of the latter. In the main, '^Capital'* controls 
^' Labor.** No matter how much soever ^^ Labor '* may desire 
employment, either to sustain life or improve its condition, it 
must generally remain dormant until the interests of '' Capital ** 
awaken it into activity. 

It is true, ^'Capital** is now generally forbidden the legal 
right to hold and control men as property, nevertheless, the fact 
remains that only to a limited extent has ^^ Labor** the power, 
as yet, to control its own interests. The power to control ^^ La- 
bor ** is still held almost exclusively by ^' Capital,** which, while 
it can discharge ^^ Labor ** at will, is under no legal obligation 
to protect it from want. For this reason, or on this account, 
the freedmen or ex-slaves in our country are, in some instances, 
and for the time being, not much, if any, happier than when 
they were in bondage. Many of them are still, practically, the 
servants or slaves of ^^ Capital.*' ^^ Suppose ye,** said Jesus, re- 
ferring to certain Galileans who had suffered for certain offences, 
^' Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the 
Galileans, because they suffered such things ? I tell you. Nay : 
but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those 
eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, 
think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jeru- 



THE ''OLD'' AND THE ''NEWP 153 

salem? I tell you, Nay : but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise 
perish. ' * And, we would say, Suppose ye that those persons in 
our American Republic, who bought and sold their fellow-men, 
and whose attempt to establish a separate confederacy of states 
perished, think ye that they were sinners above all others that 
dwelt in the land? We tell you, Nay: but except we abolish 
the ^^Old,^' i.e., every form of servitude and oppression, we 
believe our Great American Republic will likewise perish. There 
was between freedom and slavery, in our country, an irrepressi- 
ble conflict, simply because in their very natures freedom and 
slavery are antagonistic : and there is also between our present 
political and social systems an irreconcilable variance. Under 
the former, men are politically equal. The most prominent man 
has one vote, and no more; the most obscure man one vote, and 
no less. But while the men of our Republic thus enjoy perfect 
equality of political rights, they suffer greatly from inequality as 
to social rights. With us '^ Labor '^ has the power to elect 
whomsoever it will to occupy places of honor and emolument in the 
state, but as yet has little or no power to control its own private 
interests. It is potent in political affairs where it is as yet only 
indirectly interested, but quite impotent and powerless in social 
affairs where it is directly interested. There is an evident incon- 
sistency here that needs correction. *' Labor,'' in our Republic, 
should either have less political power, or full social power. If 
we assert the former, we do it with evident disregard of the prin- 
ciples of liberty and equality, which were generally cherished by 
our forefathers as constituting the very basis of our political sys- 
tem : if the latter, we believe the conclusion is unavoidable, that 
the ^^New" should supersede the ^'Old''; for only through 
the *^ New '' can our social be made to harmonize with our politi- 
cal system. In other words, a system of equal political rights, 
and one of unequal social rights, cannot be made to permanently 
agree. Labor-saving machinery, increase of population, and 
corresponding increase of competition, will, of themselves, make 
the dissimilarity between our present political and social systems 



154 DAY DAWNING, 

greater and greater until one or the other must give way. The 
basis of our political system is democratic or republican, while 
that of our social system is, as yet, substantially, monarchical. 
The latter must be abolished, and the ^^New'* established in its 
place, or the former, we believe, will decay, and monarchy will 
rise upon its ruins. 

The social and political interests of a state or nation, may be 
compared to the several parts of a cord ; the fibre of which the 
strands are composed, representing its social, and the strands 
themselves representing its political, interests. If the fibre or 
staple be closely united or twisted together, the strands will be 
firm and strong even though the staple differ much as to length 
or fineness; and, according to the firmness of the strands, will 
the strands of thejnselves unite, and form into a cord correspond- 
ingly firm. We maybe assured that if the staple (i. e., the social in- 
terests of the people) be not closely united, or intertwined, the en- 
tire cord will be weak. God grant that in the experience of our 
Republic, the following words of prophecy may not be realized : 
^^ My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my 
children are gone forth of me, and they are not : there is none 
to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.'^ 
Some are in favor of government based upon Federal Sovereignty, 
others in favor of that based upon State Sovereignty, but we 
believe that no government will endure unless established on the 
foundation of Popular Sovereignty; or in other words, upon the 
foundation of Equality of Social Rights. No matter how grand 
and imposing the edifice of state may appear, this must be its 
chief corner-stone, or like the temple at Jerusalem, to whose 
magnificence the attention of Jesus was called by his disciples, 
^' there shall not be left one stone of it upon another that shall 
not be thrown down.'' With due respect for the opinions con- 
cerning political affairs, which were entertained by our demo- 
cratic forefathers, who believed that the maintenance of State 
Rights or State Sovereignty was necessary to check the evils 
which they supposed would or might arise from Comprehensive 



THE ''OLD'' AND THE ''NEWP 155 

or Centralized Power, we are of the belief that there is far less 
danger to be apprehended from the latter than from the former. 
The states, as such, under the ^^ Old," have local interests to con- 
sult and serve, and are therefore likely to disagree, while the 
Central Government must, of necessity, be, to a great extent, in- 
terested in all alike. Nevertheless, we believe, every form of 
government will ultimately perish, which persistently refuses to 
establish and sustain Equality of Social Rights. We deem it, 
therefore, quite unnecessary to enter into a discussion, w^ith the 
view of attempting to arrive at a determination of the question, 
as to whether our Federal Compact was made and entered into 
by and between the states as such, and subject to annulment by 
any of the contracting parties upon a real or supposed violation 
of the terms of the compact, or whether it was a covenant or 
agreement on the part of the people of the states acting collec- 
tively, and simply using state representation as a convenient 
medium through which to express their will. We believe that all 
governments, of whatever form, or however created, will pass 
away, that persistently refuse establishment upon the basis of 
the ^^New." 

Every nation and government on the earth, our own not ex- 
cepted, stands, as yet, upon the basis of the '* Old;" and may 
be compared also to the great image which Nebuchadnezzar the 
king of Babylon saw in a dream. Our own nation and govern- 
ment, in particular, may, we believe, be aptly compared to that 
image. Our Federal Government may be likened to its head of 
gold ; our state governments, to its breast and arms of silver, its 
lower parts and thighs of brass, and its legs of iron; and 
''Labor," or the laboring people under the ''Old," may be 
compared to the feet of the image, which were part of iron and 
part of clay. In its political rights, "Labor" in our country is 
strong — comparable to the part of iron ; but in its social rights 
it is, as yet, weak, or comparable to the part of clay. As the feet 
or base must sustain the whole body of that which has an upright 
or fixed position, so in the body politic a suitable element must 



156 DAY DAWNING, 

occupy or perform that part.- ^^ Labor'' maybe appropriately 
compared to the feet, for on it the whole structure of society 
must rest for support; and in all its rights, social as well as 
political, it must be made strong like iron, or, we believe, the 
whole body, ^^ excellent though it be for brightness,'' will, like 
the great image, be ^'smitten and fall and be broken to pieces, 
and become like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors." 
God* s justice y truth, arid love, constitute ^^ the stone cut out without 
hands from the mountain^ ^ of his holiness. By this tried ^^ stone ^^ 
shall every hu77tan work be tested, and it shall break in pieces 
^ ^ whatsoever worketh abominatio/i, or maketh a lie, ' ' 

It may be urged, however, that in our American Republic, at 
least, no real inequality of rights exists ; that the avenues of honor 
and profit, both in public and private life, are open alike to all ; 
that here we have no titled nobility, and that no one is pre- 
vented from rising politically or socially, whose merits entitle 
him to promotion ; that we have yet an immense area of uncul- 
tivated territory ; that the elements of wealth here are enormous, 
and scarcely need more than the mere touch of the magic wand 
of industry to convert them into values more precious far than 
^old ; and that, at least, a fair chance for profit is offered to all 
who will wisely employ their time and talents. 

While this, to a certain extent, is true, it is, nevertheless, also 
true, that the sharpness of competition is increasing; that the 
unavoidable variance between ^^ Capital" and '^ Labor" is be- 
coming more and more decided ; and that, for the latter, com- 
petence under the ^^Old," as a rule, has become impossible. 

In the early history of our country the people were generally 
engaged in agriculture, and, in their conditions, there was much 
similarity ; besides, the number of the population was very small 
in comparison with what it is at present ; and consequently those 
citizens who started together in the race of life, did so with the 
liope and expectation that all would or could attain to comfort- 
able competence to sustain them in their declining years. This 
similarity of occupation and condition doubtless contributed 



THE ''OLD'\AND THE ''NEWr 157 

greatly toward the establishment and maintenance of the prin- 
ciple of political equality which our forefathers set up, and which, 
with thankfulness, we have received from them as a blessed 
inheritance. 

But while a large percentage of the people could then attain 
to a position bordering on equality as to ownership of property, 
the situation now is greatly, if not entirely, changed. Then the 
population numbered about three millions of souls j now it num- 
bers more than fofty millions, being about thirteen or fourteen 
times as large as it was at that time. Then, as we have said, the 
people, generally, were engaged in agriculture, the most useful 
of all the occupations; now only about one-half of the population 
are so employed : then social situations and conditions were, in 
the main, quite similar; since then, they have become more and 
more unlike, and their increasing dissimilarity is startling, and 
even alarming. But few, if any individuals, then held legal 
ownership of property to the value of more than a million of 
dollars ; now there are several persons here each of whom has 
legal right to scores of millions. It is true in a bad, as well as 
in a good, sense, that '^whosoever hath to him shall be given; 
and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which 
he seemeth to have.'' In this way, or according to the workings 
of this system of society, those who by inheritance, speculation 
or otherwise, became, years ago, legal owners of considerable 
means, have been enabled to accumulate more and more ; and so 
rapidly has this tendency to increasing inequality of condition 
sprung up in our country, that a large part of all the property 
thereof is already in the hands of a small percentage of its popu- 
lation. It is said that three per centum of the population now 
have in legal possession, or ownership, two-thirds of all the pro- 
perty in our Republic; while ninety-seven per centum of the 
population have only the remaining one-third. The population 
is said to exceed forty millions of souls ; or to consist of about 
eight millions of families averaging about five persons per family. 
All the property in our country is supposed to have a present 



158 DAY DAWNING, 

value, expressed in money, not exceeding much, if any, thirty- 
two thousand millions of dollars. This property, divided equal- 
ly, would give, stated in money, about eight hundred dollars to 
each person, or about four thousand dollars to each family; but 
as two-thirds of the property is held by three per centum of the 
population, the said two-thirds, if divided equally between the 
said three per centum, would give about seventeen thousand 
five hundred dollars to each of the persons thereof, or abou 
eighty-seven thousand dollars to each of \ktt families thereof; 
while an equal division of the remaining one-third of the pro- 
perty, between the remaining ninety-seven per centum of the 
population, would give to each of the persons of the said 
ninety-seven per centum, about two hundred and seventy-five 
dollars, or to each of the families thereof about fourteen hun-, 
dred dollars. 

But, it may be said, the rich frequently become prodigal and 
reckless, and that, from these and other causes, '^riches some- 
times take to themselves wings and fly away ;'* and that some, 
who were once poor, have become rich. 

While it is undoubtedly true that wealth sometimes changes 
hands, still the fact remains that only a few, comparatively, arej 
ever wealthy, and that, as long as the ^^Old" continues, the 
number of the rich, as compared with that of the poor, is likely 
to become smaller and smaller, the few that are rich becoming 
richer, and the many, or the poor, as a rule, simply allowed tb 
right to live, their lives in many instances being shortened by 
the hardships and discomforts to which they are frequently sub 
jected. On the principle that ^^ whosoever hath, to him shall be 
given,*' if the three per centum of the population of our country 
who now legally own about twenty-one thousand millions of dol 
lars worth of its property, could, after meeting current expenses, 
realize an amount of profit therefrom equivalent to compound 
interest thereon at the rate of six per centum per annum, they 
would in twelve years be worth about forty-two thousand millions 
of dollars, and in twenty-four years, about eighty-four thousand 



THE ''OLD'' AND THE ''NEW:' 159 

millions of dollars, a sum probably larger than all the property 
in the United States will be estimated to be worth at that time. 
Even if the number of the large property holders should increase 
in proportion to the increase in the development of wealth, 
(which is very unlikely) it is altogether probable that in a quarter 
of a century from now, seven-eighths of the entire property of the 
country would be in the legal ownership of less than one-eighth 
of the population. If the population should then number sixty 
millions of souls, it is probable that more than fifty millions of it 
would be in a state of dependence bordering on servitude to the 
remaining less than ten millions. 

Still, we may be told that all this is fair, in view of the fact 
that the chances for advancement are open to all; that, while it 
may be true that only a few, comparatively, can obtain comfort- 
able competence, and fewer still, great wealth, no one is pro- 
hibited from becoming wealthy; and that, in the struggle for 
riches or competence, some will succeed in securing one or 
the other. 

We reply, that no system of society can be fair which makes 
the attainment of separate competence by all an impossibility; 
that even if some do by great energy^ or favoring fortune, attain 
to separate competence, unless all have room and opportunity to 
do so, the system is unfair. Under the ^^ Old,*' i. e., the present 
order of things, life is very much like a lottery, the many con- 
tributing to the scheme, and the few drawing the prizes; and 
while it is true that he who is poor, and invests in but one 
chance, may draw a large, or even the capital prize, those, never- 
theless, who have the most means and invest in the greatest num- 
ber of chances, have the most favorable prospect of winning. 
Now, lotteries, and indeed all games of chance, so far as they are 
manipulated for money, are considered by good men, generally, 
as immoral in principle, and injurious in their effects; and so 
objectionable are games of chance considered by some persons, 
even when played for diversion only, that such persons avoid 
them altogether. And shall a stupendous social scheme be per- 



160 DA Y DA WNING. 

petuated, whose workings, in many respects, are so similar to 
those of games of chance ? 

It is true there is, as yet, in our country an immense area of 
unoccupied territory, but this very fact will continue to attract 
hither the overcrowded millions of other countries : and although 
our social system is objectionable, being, as yet, practically, like 
that of other lands, still our political system is far more inviting 
than is the generality of their political systems. This also will 
continue to attract multitudes to our shores. Besides, modern 
improvements, both in land and water transportation, are making 
immigration to and through our country comparatively easy. 
This Western hemisphere contains less than one-tenth of the 
population of the globe, and, on this account particularly, we 
may expect large accessions from every quarter. Our own coun- 
try especially — the Garden of this Western World, — now that 
slavery is abolished, and manhood suffrage is firmly established 
within it, will doubtless continue to be regarded by millions as 
the best ^^ asylum *' in the world '' for the oppressed of all na- 
tions.*' As if following the apparent daily course of the sun in 
the heavens, population and civilization have for ages been 
steadily advancing from east to west, until at last they have com- 
pleted the circuit of the world ; and now from the western shores 
of our country the New World hails the Old with friendly greet- 
ings. Easily accessible now on the right and on the left, from 
the Great East and the Great West, immense multitudes will 
doubtless pour into our country from every land, and it would 
seem that here, if anywhere on the earth, the Great Problem of 
Humanity should be brought to a satisfactory solution. Shall 
we all, neglecting our golden opportunities, disregarding the les- 
sons of the past, and ignoring the hopes of the future, go grop- 
ing blindly on in the uneven, thorny, and rugged pathways of 
the ^^Old"? 

The population of our country, as we have said, is in numbers 
about thirteen or fourteen times as large as it was about a century 
ago; and if it should continue to increase in the same propor- 



THE ''OLD'' AND THE ''NEWr 161 

tion, it would, at the end of a century from now, exceed ^yq 
hundred millions of souls; but supposing it should not exceed 
two hundred and fifty millions, it would, even then, be in num- 
bers about six times as large as it is at present, and would proba- 
bly constitute about one-eighth or one-tenth of the population of 
the world at that time. When we consider that, with our coun- 
try's population of only about forty millions, the pressure of 
competition anjiong the many, and the strife for greater wealth 
among the few, are already causing much inconvenience and 
suffering to hundreds of thousands, if not to millions, of the 
population, we can easily imagine that any considerable increase 
of it would, under the ^^ Old,'' make the situation, to the greater 
number of our people, not only oppressive, but indeed, ^^ griev- 
ous to be borne." Under the ^^ New/' however, the situation 
of affairs would be greatly, if not entirely, changed. Under the 
'^ New," the industries of the country would no longer be subject 
to the interests and control of a few. The welfare and happiness 
of each and every person would determine the amount and kind 
of labor to be done by each. As a rule, able-bodied persons 
between certain ages would be required to perform a certain 
amount of useful work, and as all would be employed, except 
those exempted therefrom by the community, the task imposed 
on each person would be an easy one. Our Great Father has 
made ample provision for the well-being of all his offspring, and 
where there is any lack, it is because of man's interference with, 
or indifference to, the rights of his fellow-man. Experience 
would soon determine the number of hours of labor per day 
which would be required to produce the supplies requisite for the 
maintenance and enjoyment of all. At first an average of eight 
hours per day might be adopted, and if this, owing to the increase 
of labor-saving machinery and other causes, were found to pro- 
duce a surplus unnecessarily large, the hours of labor could be 
reduced. New inventions in steam and other machinery which, 
under the ^' Old," sometimes seem to operate to the loss or dis- 
advantage of many, from the fact that they supplant so much 



162 DA V DA WNING. 

muscular power — in many instances throwing scores or hundreds 
of persons out of employment — would, under the ^^New/' doubt- 
less increase in number and be improved to perfectness, and 
would aid materially in relieving man from the evils caused by 
the so-called primal curse. Under the '^ New/' labor-saving 
machinery would invariably relieve the laborer ; under the '^ Old*' 
it sometimes, if not frequently, oppresses him. Some things 
which seem like a *^ curse/' or like curses, in the ^^ Old/' would 
become blessings in the ^^New." Under the '^Old/' labor, 
though honored in theory, is dishonored in practice. As a rule, 
" the harder the labor, the less the pay." Those who, by their 
labor, produce the most are, as a rule, paid the least, and those 
who produce the least are, as a rule, paid the most. 

The argument, so commonly urged, that under the ^^ New " 
all incentive to industry would be taken away, has in it but lit- 
tle, if any, force; for even now manual labor, at least, is almost 
invariably avoided by such as can, or hope, or imagine they can, 
live without it. There is undoubtedly an earnest desire on the 
part of most people to obtain wealth or competence, but, as a 
rule, they do not now expect to obtain either through the medi- 
um of manual labor. A hundred years ago, every poor industri- 
ous man here had a reasonable hope and expectation of attain- 
ing to a condition of competence through the labor of his hands, 
but, in these latter days, that hope is to a great extent abandoned, 
and competence now is often sought through dishonorable and 
dishonest practices. Popular education has been and is encour- 
aged throughout the land, under the belief that the diffusion of 
knowledge among the masses would tend to better their condi- 
tion, and strengthen the pillars of the state. Under the ^^New," 
these results would undoubtedly follow; but under the ^^Old," 
to educate the many is simply to aggravate their discontent. 
While ^^ Labor" is ignorant it sustains its burdens with much 
apparent indifference. Conscious of its incompetency to intelli- 
gently and peacefully remove the ills which press it down, it, 
for the most part, uncomplainingly bears them; but when educa- 



MOTIVES TO ACTION UNDER THE ''NEWP 163 

tion enlightens it, then those callings which promise the greatest 
amount of worldly honor and profit, are eagerly sought or under- 
taken by its ambitious multitudes, manual labor is neglected, 
and, as an almost inevitable result, thousands of the educated 
throng are, under the pressure of competition and opposition, 
overwhelmed with disappointments and discouragements, and 
finally sink into a state of despondency and despair. 

It has been said that ^^a little learning is a dangerous thing." 
If by this it is meant that a little learning, acquired by laborers, 
is calculated to cause discontent among them, much learning, we 
believe, is calculated to increase their discontent under the 
^*01d." Indeed, we believe that popular education will ere 
long become inimical to the further perpetuation of the '* Old,** 
and that it will serve as an efficient handmaid of Christianity in 
promoting the early introduction of the ^' New." We therefore 
regard the rapid spread of popular education with very great 
pleasure, and wish it God speed. 



XIII. 
MOTIVES TO ACTION UNDER THE "NEW." 

•• T3UT," it may be asked, '^if the individual could own 
\j no property whatever in his own private right — all 
property being held in common — what inducement would there 
be for any man to be industrious at all ? Under the ** Old/' as 
you designate the past and present social order of things, almost 
any man can earn enough to purchase one or more chances in 
the Great Lottery of Life. Take away even the poor hope which 
these chances excite, and what have you left to stimulate man to 
action or exertion ? * ' 



164 DAY DA WNING. 

We reply, that we believe the time will come, under the 
^'New," when the Smi of Righteousness will shine over the 
earth in the fullness of his splendor, and that then no earth-born 
incentives to action will be needed. Man, the child, will then 
be in the perfect likeness of God, the Father; and as God's chief 
delight consists in promoting the happiness of all, man's chief 
delight will consist in serving God by promoting the happiness of 
his fellow-man. Then, in the best sense, will men ^^be the chil- 
dren of their Father which is in heaven,'' and they will enjoy 
labor for itself, but chiefly for the good which it confers upon all. 

*^ Yes," it may be said, ''we admit that if men ever become 
perfect on the earth, they will undoubtedly be prompted in all 
their acts by love to God and love to each other; but they are 
certainly not perfect as yet, and, until they become so, how are 
they to be stimulated to action or exertion if the ability to own 
property by individual or private right is made impossible 
by law." 

We reply, that although men are, to a great extent, still 
prompted to action by the love of gain, we believe they seldom 
accumulate money with the mere miserly object of hoarding it; 
they accumulate it rather for the social power which, to some 
extent, it secures; for the educational and other advantages 
which they can obtain with it for themselves and their children; 
for the generous hospitality which it enables them to dispense; 
for the displays of elegance or splendor which it enables them to 
make ; and, in general, for the happiness which, through it, they 
are enabled to impart to their families and friends. The lavish 
expenditures which are so often made by the wealthy, can be 
traced, we think, to no other feeling than to a desire on their 
part to excite the admiration, and win the applause of their fel- 
low-men. If all men were compelled by law to live in hovels, 
and none were allowed to make any display of wealth, we ima- 
gine the strife for the acquisition of wealth would cease, or be 
very greatly diminished. It seems clearly evident that, where 
efforts are made to obtain more than a competency, such efforts 



MOTIVES TO ACTION UNDER THE ''NEV/r 165 

are prompted not merely by the love of money for its own sake, 
but because of the power and consideration which the possession 
of much of it does, or is supposed to secure. The struggle for 
more than a competency is prompted therefore, we believe, 
mainly by the love of praise or admiration, and the desire of 
promotion; and, until purely disinterested impulses take their 
place, it is partly through these ordinary qualities, or disposi- 
tions, that we would stimulate our fellow-men to action. Nor 
do we regard these ordinary, and apparently natural, disposi- 
tions, as, in themselves, necessarily mean or unworthy: manifes- 
tations of gratitude or delight, on the part of those whom we 
benefit or please, are always acceptable, not only because we 
enjoy the friendship of others, but because we take pleasure in 
their appreciation of what we regard as pleasant or profitable. 
Under the ^^Old,*' it is true, these qualities or dispositions are 
liable to great abuse. Under that system their full gratification 
involves, in the estimation of many, the possession of large or 
considerable worldly wealth, and hence the strife for wealth, and 
the objectionable means which are frequently employed to 
obtain it. 

Under the ^^New,'* however, these passions or dispositions 
could, and, we believe, would, receive their fullest gratification 
unalloyed by any unworthy considerations. A system of exemp- 
tions, privileges and honors could be instituted, which, while it 
would constantly contribute toward the interests and enjoyment 
of society, would also, we believe, stimulate men not only to the 
performance of such acts or duties as would entitle them to spe- 
cial consideration, but actuate them also to the cheerful perform- 
ance of the ordinary duties of life. 

Under the ''Old,'* only a few, comparatively, can ever be 
exempt from labor, until exertion therein is made impossible by 
extreme old age or premature debility, for the reason that only 
a few, comparatively, can ever own a competency. Even if the 
value of five thousand dollars were the prescribed limit, beyond 
which no individual could legally own property here, even with 



166 J^A Y DA WNING, 

a limit as small as that, about sixteen per centum of the popula- 
tion could own all the property in the United States at its 
present estimated value. If no sum beyond twenty thousand 
dollars were allowed to be owned by any individual here, about 
four per centum of the population could own all the property of 
the country; and so but few of the people, under the ^^Old,'' 
could ever be exempt from labor in any year of their lives, ex- 
cept, as we have said, premature debility, or extreme old age, 
might render the performance of it impossible. 

But, under the ^^New,'* a rule could be established which 
would place the opportunity for exemption from labor at a given 
age, within the reach of all, and which would therefore stimulate 
all to the performance of prompt and faithful service. It could, 
for instance, be ordained that all persons, according to their 
health and strength, and under certain reasonable rules and regu- 
lations, who should in any manner be usefully employed between 
the ages of fifteen and sixty years, should thereafter be exempt 
from all labor and receive special attention and consideration: 
the names of all such persons, and also of those exempted prior 
to the age of sixty years, could be entered in a special register, 
and those so registered could be known as belonging to the Roll 
of Eminence. The names of all faithful and worthy persons 
dying prior to the age of sixty years, could, in honor to their 
memory, be entered in said register at death, unless, for special 
merit, it were done before. We suggest the age of sixty years as 
one not too late for the discontinuance of the obligation to be 
usefully employed, for the reason that, while under the selfishness 
and hardships of the '^Old,'' men become prematurely infirm, 
under the ^^New,'* we believe the years of human life would, on 
the average, be greatly increased in number. We have no doubt 
that, under the latter, many persons would live beyond the age of 
one hundred years. Indeed, in a certain sense, there would, as 
we have seen, ^^be no more death,'' i. e., there would be no 
more premature decay among men caused by selfishness; for 
selfishness and hate, which are the principal causes of premature 



MOTIVES TO ACTION UNDER THE *'NEPV.'' 167 

decay, would be destroyed. The bloody conflicts of battle-fields 
are denominated war, and we justly regard them with horror. 
They bring almost unutterable anguish to thousands; and are 
frequently, if not generally, injurious to the morals of all those 
who are in any way concerned in them. But there is another 
war which, generally without tumult, is constantly multiplying 
its victims. We mean the continual strife or struggle for sub- 
sistence, competence, or wealth, which characterizes the ^'Old/' 
Thousands, if not millions, are annually, in this, which has been 
aptly termed, the ^'battle of life,'* brought to premature graves; 
and, we believe, this comparatively noiseless, though frightfully de- 
structive, conflict will never cease as long as the ^^ Old *' endures. 
Under the rule for General Exemption from labor at a given 
age — say sixty years — many, if not most persons, would be obliged 
to spend only about one-half their lives employed ; and exemp- 
tion from labor for about the other one-half, with special con- 
sideration or honor extended, as a rule, to those beyond that age, 
would seem to be all that were needed to stimulate humanity to 
the cheerful performance of every duty. By this rule, the whole 
of life would have its type in the experience of each day, about 
one-half of which we generally spend in action and about the 
other one-half in rest. It should be borne in mind, also, that 
labor under the ^^New*' would be a very different thing from 
what it is under the ^'Old.'* As a rule it is now honored in 
theory only; then it would be honored in practice also. Wealthy 
persons, whether usefully employed or not, are now usually re- 
garded with much apparent consideration or respect. Under 
the ''New** all persons capable of performing labor, and not ex- 
empted therefrom, who should attempt to avoid being usefully 
employed, would lower themselves in the estimation of their 
fellow-men. The necessity of getting a living by the labor of 
one's hands is considered a misfortune by many now: to avoid 
useful labor then, without being exempted, would bring upon any 
one, so avoiding it, certain disgrace. Besides, the various occu- 
pations would be suitably distributed ; and, aided by steam and 



168 DA V DA WNING, 

Other machinery, and willing hearts and hands, all labor could, 
and would, be light. *^ Come unto me,'' says Jesus, ^' all ye that 
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my 
yoke upon you and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart: 
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and 
my burden is light." When men become so far advanced in 
righteousness as to abolish the ^^Old," and cheerfully accept and 
establish the ^' New,'* then, in every sense, will these comforting 
words of Jesus receive their fullest appreciation and realization. 
Then the ^^yoke" will indeed be easy, and every burden 
will be light. 

Upon the establishment of the ^'New," the names of all per- 
sons of good report, of sixty years of age and upward, could be 
registered at once upon the Roll of Eminence : the fitness of par- 
ties to be thus registered could be decided upon by a vote of the 
community, or by persons selected by the community for that 
purpose. The names of unv/orthy persons of sixty years of age 
and upward, could be allowed a place upon said Roll when, in 
the estimation of the community, or of parties duly authorized 
to decide, their reformation and merits should entitle them, to it. 
The names of all worthy persons under sixty years of age, at the 
time of the establishment of the ''New," could thereafter be 
placed upon said Roll as the parties should respectively reach the 
prescribed three-score. 

Besides the Sixty-Year Exemption, society could, for special 
merit, and with entire propriety we think, confer exemptions, 
privileges, and honors, on certain persons without regard to their 
age. Inventors of labor-saving machinery, for instance, active 
and useful laborers in the various fields of literature, science or 
art, or persons of more than ordinary worth as teachers and ex- 
emplars of good manners, conduct, and morals, or any whom a 
grateful people might wish to honor, could thus be rewarded. 
Indeed the gratitude of the people toward the promoters of their ■ 
happiness, could be manifested to an almost unlimited extent, , 
and that, without conferring upon any person or persons whatever • 



MOTIVES TO ACTION UNDER THE ''NEWr 169 

the private or exclusive ownership of any property. Under the 
**01d'* it is not easy to form a correct judgment from appear- 
ance as to who are eminently honorable and who are not. Honor- 
able position^ and gilded shame, are not unfrequently found in 
most incongruous fellowship ; and to such an extent has corrup- 
tion in high places increased, especially in the political world, 
that legislators are frequently, if not generally, regarded with 
much suspicion. Under the ^'New,*' conspicuous positions 
would doubtless as a rule be filled by persons of real worth. As 
there would be nothing then in such positions to gratify any base 
desire, the unworthy would generally avoid them. 

Differences of opinion on religious and other subjects could be 
freely tolerated, for the reason that every thing that is intrinsi- 
cally valuable in any religious, or other system, would find its 
best illustration or exemplification in the harmonious work- 
ings of the ^' New." The '' New " is really the goal which all 
are seeking, some taking one road for it and some another, and 
when it is reached all disturbing influences and differences will 
melt away like snow before the sun. 

Our American Republic is eminently prepared to take the ini- 
tiative in the blessed work of ushering in the ^'New.*' The 
government of our country is Republican not only in form, but 
also in fact. Manhood suffrage here is nearly or quite complete, 
the most prominent man, as we have said, having one vote and 
no more, and the most obscure man one vote and no less. The 
first great step toward perfect equality of rights is, therefore, 
already taken. Shall we take the other great step and complete 
the work so hopefully commenced? Or shall our Republic, 
like the republics of ancient time, be allowed to sink into ruin 
under the crushing pressure of the *^ Old "? We believe the 
present position of our country cannot long be maintained ; 
the people must go forward until they establish a better order of 
things than they have at present, or they will fall back, we 
believe, into a worse one. They must make mutual accounta- 
bility as complete in their social, as it is in their political, sys- 

H 



170 DAY DAWNING. 

tetn, or we believe our Great Republic, ' 'excellent though it be 
for brightness, will be smitten and fall and be broken to pieces/' 
Although the American Republic may, we believe, be justly 
termed the model republic of the world, still the startling fact is 
constantly confronting us all, that corruption is on the increase 
here in high places : and although this is a land, figuratively speak- 
ing, '^ flowing with milk and honey,'* and with a population 
small in numbers in comparison with that of many other coun- 
tries of similar area, yet, even here, scores of thousands, if not 
hundreds of thousands of human beings, are clamoring for work 
and bread. Surely, these things ought not so to be; and as we 
have found that the '* Old ** is clearly responsible for the exist- 
ence and maintenance of these ills, and utterly incapable of 
remedying them, ought we not all, as lovers of God and each 
other, to do all that we can to peacefully hasten its abolish- 
ment, and to promote the early advent of the ^' New '' ? 

We will now undertake to examine the '^ Old " somewhat more 
critically, and, as we expose more of the evils and defects which 
characterize it, will endeavor to show how they could and would 
be remedied under the *' New/' 



XIV. 
MONEY. 



ONE of the strongest evidences of the defective character 
of the ^^ Old '' is the fact that, while the investigation of 
one point of a subject after another has generally enabled men to 
reduce a series of ascertained facts to a comprehensible science, 
experts in financial matters have never yet been able to evolve or 
create an intelligible science of money, and that too notwithstand- 
ing the fact that money in some form has been in use in the world 
for thousands of years. The truth is there can be no such thing as 
a comprehensible science of money, for the reason that money is 
simply a species of property, and can be handled as such, having 
like any other commodity an intrinsic value ; or it can be used 
as a convenient medium by which to represent other property 
more bulky than itself. It would, therefore, be about as sensible 
to undertake to evolve or create an intelligible science of pro- 
perty, as to undertake to evolve or create an intelligible science 
of money. Now, the science of property would seem to be this: 
that he who has much of it can readily accumulate more, while 
he who has but little of it is constantly in danger of losing what 
little he has. And this, we believe, is about all the ^'science " 
there is, either of money or of other property. 

Bulky or unportable property, whether fixed or movable, is, 
for the sake of convenience in making exchanges, generally 
represented by that kind of portable property commonly called 
money, sometimes called the circulation, which usually consists 
of gold and silver coin, and of those paper issues or promises to 
pay which circulate as money, and which, generally, are declara- 
tively or presumably payable in coin, said promises to pay being 
more convenient to handle than coin, and better calculated in 



172 DA V DA WNING. 

many respects to facilitate the operations of trade. Now as this 
portable property or circulation in any country becomes, by any 
circumstance, either more or less in bulk or volume than what 
seems necessary for the satisfactory management of the business 
aifairs transacted within it, so, as a rule, will the bulky or unport- 
able property therein be higher or lower in price. If the volume 
of the circulation be increased, the prices of unportable property 
will, as a rule, appreciate, or, in other words, there will then be 
what is called a rising market. Capital, observing the oppor- 
tunity for profit which a rising market affords, then comes forth 
from its places of seclusion to increase its gains, and so helps to 
facilitate the exchanges, if not, indeed, to increase the circula- 
tion. Business of all kinds then becomes more active and re- 
munerative, laborers find employment with less difficulty than 
usual, and all seems to move on quite smoothly until the increase 
of the population, and of the unportable property of the country, 
outgrows the ability of the circulation to move the unportable 
property at prices which for months, or years perhaps, had yielded 
a profit. Then, what is called a falling market follows; capital 
withdraws to its places of seclusion, debtors are obliged to sub- 
mit to a most inconvenient shrinkage in the market value of their 
assets, while their debts continue most inconveniently unshrink- 
ing and rigid ; laborers by hundreds and thousands are thrown 
out of employment, and general dissatisfaction, distrust and suf- 
fering ensue. 

It may be said that the circulation is, in amount, so small in 
comparison with the total value of the unportable property of 
the country, that a few scores of millions of dollars, more or less 
of it, ought not to have the effect of unsettling the ordinary prices 
of said property. But it must be borne in mind that a limited 
amount of circulation cannot satisfactorily meet the requirements 
of every locality at the same time. It requires a certain amount 
in each locality to make the exchanges at the ordinary prices of 
property, and as this amount is increased or diminished the 
prices of unportable property will, as a rule, go up or down. 



MONE K 173 

The more we have of portable property, or circulation, the more 
we can afford to give of it for unportable property ; and the less 
we have of the former, the less we can afford to give of it for the 
latter. The money circulation in business affairs may be com- 
pared to the circulation of the blood in an animal. If the ordi- 
nary volume of blood be reduced by any cause, the animal will 
be w^eak and spiritless ; if it be increased, the animal will be vig- 
orous and active. Moreover, an amount of blood which would 
suffice to maintain the vigor of a very young animal, would fail 
to impart much strength to one full grown. So, if the volume 
of the money circulation were to-day sufficient to enliven the 
operations of trade, in a few years the increase of the population 
and the ordinary increase of the bulk or volume of unportable 
property, would make this same money volume quite insufficient 
then for the profitable conduction of trade. The unportable 
property of the country may also be compared to the flesh of an 
oyster, and the money circulation to its shell. As the flesh of 
the oyster increases in bulk, the shell also must increase in size, 
or the creature will suffer loss. It is true, a very large part of 
the wholesale business of the country is carried on by exchang- 
ing one kind of unportable property for another, through the 
medium of drafts or bills of exchange, but for the most part the 
smaller and retail transactions are carried on by exchanging the 
various denominations of the circulation for such articles as are 
needed or required for daily use. The circulation representing 
the smaller transactions moves actively, and a comparatively 
limited amount or quantity of it passing from hand to hand, suf- 
fices for the rapid discharge of many obligations. It cannot, 
however, circulate beyond a certain rapidity of movement with- 
out lessening, as a rule, the prices of the unportable property 
which it is required to move. A locomotive engine, driven at 
the rate of sixty miles per hour, wuU deteriorate rapidly in com- 
parison with one driven at the rate of thirty miles per hour; and 
so the prices of unportable property will decline if the circulation 
is required to do much more than its ordinary w^ork. The move- 



I 



174 DA V DA WNING. 

ments of commerce or trade, may also be compared to the move- 
ments of the hands of a clock, the hour hand representing the 
larger, or wholesale operations of trade, which move slowly, and 
the minute hand the smaller and retail transactions, which move 
actively. If the minute hand be required to proceed either very 
slowly or very rapidly, the clock will generally be out of correct 
time, and its usefulness impaired; and if, by any means, the 
minute hand be much obstructed, the pendulum of the clock will 
sometimes cease to vibrate, thereby causing the stoppage of the 
entire machinery. If the circulation be sufficient to cause the 
smaller and retail transactions of trade to move with a degree of 
activity sufficient to benefit all more or less, the larger operations 
will also move on to advantage ; but if the former be obstructed, 
the latter will be correspondingly affected. 

During the course of the bloody strife in which our country 
was lately engaged, the Central Government, at Washington, 
found it desirable, if not necessary, to carry on the war by issu- 
ing in large and small denominations its promises to pay. These 
promises were made payable in dollars; and, as dollars consist of 
coin, and are in themselves property, and not promises to pay, 
the presumption is a fair one that these promises to pay of the 
General Government were intended to be paid eventually in coin. 
The Government did not promise to pay in so many pounds of 
corn, cotton or tobacco, nor in any other unportable property, 
but in dollars. When, therefore, it issued its circulating prom- 
ises to pay, it assumed or occupied the position of a Great Bank 
of Issue, having abundant assets indeed, but being without the 
ability to redeem, at the time, these circulating issues in coin. 
In former years, when the banks of our country professed to 
redeem in coin such of their circulating notes as might be pre- 
sented for redemption, if a bank did not pay its issues in coin on 
presentation, the bank was regarded as having suspended, although 
it may at the time of suspension have had abundant assets where- 
with to meet eventually all its liabilities. The General Govern- 
ment being unable to redeem in coin its circulating issues, wisely 



MONEY. 175^ 

left the time for its resumption of specie payments discretionary 
with itself. These circulating issues declare on their face: *^The 

United States will pay the bearer dollars/* but the words, 

^* on demand," which are usually, if not invariably, found on the 
face of bank-notes, are, in the Government circulation, wisely 
left out. The General Government of our country is, therefore^ 
in the position of a Great Solvent Debtor, who, being as yet una- 
ble to redeem his floating obligations in coin, but being Chief 
Governor, as well as Chief Debtor, commands his people to 
accept his circulating promises to pay *' as a legal tender for their 
face value, for all debts, public and private, except duties on im- 
ports and interest on the public debt/* until he finds it conven- 
ient to discharge his obligations in the material or property 
nominated in the bond. These circulating issues of the Govern- 
ment were for hundreds of millions of dollars, and they increased, 
largely, the volume of the currency which was afloat at the time 
of their issue, and, as they were not made a legal tender for 
duties on imports and interest on the public debt, the eflect of 
their issue on the prices of coin, as well as other property, was 
very marked. Some commodities sold for several times their 
former price, and there was an unusual appreciation in the price 
of almost everything. Owing to this appreciation many debtors 
were enabled to realize a large profit out of their assets, and 
thus to discharge their liabilities with comparative ease. The 
practical efl*ect of the issue of this circulating indebtedness by the 
General Government, was to lift from the shoulders of hundreds 
of thousands, and perhaps millions, of individuals, and to place 
upon the shoulders of the nation as such, an indebtedness which 
was large, although small, to be sure, in comparison with its pres- 
ent entire debt. And although we are not disposed to regard a 
permanent national debt as a national blessing, still it is evident 
that this circulating Government debt brought great relief, for a 
time, to the debtor class. The war, which made these issues nec- 
essary, was, with all its horrors, not without its compensations ; 
for not only was the great debtor class here thus indirectly 



176 DA V DA WNING, 

relieved through it, but slavery in our country was abolished as 
a consequence of it, and manhood suffrage here was made quite 
complete ; and the reproach, which would still have humiliated 
the nation, especially during the Centennial year of its existence, 
if slavery had not been abolished here, was through it removed. 
We do not believe, however, that any permanent national obli- 
gation can be a national blessing, except that which guarantees 
to all the people equal social rights as well as equal politi- 
cal rights. 

After the bloody strife, to which we have referred, had ceased, 
the General Government, mindful of its obligations to its credi- 
tors, undertook to make arrangements by which this circulating 
debt should, at as early a period as practicable, be paid in dol- 
lars. To compass this end, and to avoid, as much as possible, 
interference with the trading and other interests of the country, 
this circulating debt was gradually reduced, but a considerable 
part of it was allowed to remain in circulation until a judicious 
plan could be devised whereby, at an early day if possible, it 
could be redeemed in the material promised. Whatever may be 
said, pro or con, respecting the policy of reducing the amount of 
this circulating debt, it was not only contraction in itself, but it evi- 
dently contracted also the general business operations of the coun- 
try; for as the expansion of the volume of the currency had appre- 
ciated prices, and stimulated production, so the contraction of the 
currency volume, afterward, caused, as a rule, a corresponding de- 
pression in the market value of commodities, and, to some extent, 
diminished production. It may be said that this policy of the 
Government was an erroneous one; that our country is rich in all 
the elements of wealth, and that if the full volume of the circula- 
tion had been maintained, it would have stimulated, greatly, the 
development of this latent wealth, that thereby the country would 
have been placed in a much better condition than it now is, and 
that the Government, whose support must come from the people, 1 
would have been sustained or approved, under such a policy, 
better than it is, or is likely to be, under a policy of contraction. 



MONE V. 177 

While it is true that the expanded circulation would have con- 
tinued to stimulate general business, and the various great enter- 
prises of the country, and to develop rapidly the country's latent 
resources, for a considerable time, still we cannot see how the 
Governmeiit, under such a policy, could have redeemed its cir- 
culation in dollars except at a remote period, if at all. We ad- 
mit that if the people would have cheerfully submitted to the 
imposition of a direct tax, payable in coin, wherewith to dis- 
charge or redeem this floating liability of the Government, that 
then indeed this part of the debt could have been liquidated in 
the course of a few years, and, possibly, without serious incon- 
venience to the generality of the people. A special tax, averag- 
ing one dollar per annum for every person in the United States, 
would in ten years amount to a sum quite sufficient, if not more 
than sufficient, to redeem this part of the National Debt. But, 
as human interests under the '^Old" are generally antagonistic 
to each other, a proposition by the General Government to levy 
such a tax, would have met with general and decided opposition. 
Whenever the people here appear to prosper, a considerable 
number of them become extravagant in their outlays or expendi- 
tures, importations of commodities from foreign countries are 
increased, and the debt thus incurred, together with the interest 
on the Government and other funded debt of our country held 
abroad, is generally, from year to year, considerably in excess of 
our country's exports other than the precious metals, and, to 
discharge the difference, the greater part of what we produce of 
gold is generally sent away. The attempt, therefore, on the part 
of any political party, to impose such a tax as would have been 
required to discharge or redeem in coin, at an early period, the 
Government circulation, would have greatly diminished the 
popularity of such a party, and resulted in its early retirement 
from power. Besides, the redemption and cancellation of its 
circulation by the Government in the manner indicated, would 
itself undoubtedly have operated as a measure of currency con- 
traction, and, of course, of business contraction, for the reason 



178 JOiA Y DA WNING. 

that the coin intended to take its place as circulation, even if it 
could have been obtained, would have been, to a considerable 
extent, hoarded or sent abroad. Although the party which 
originated or formed our National System of Banking and 
Finance, was as careful as possible to avoid such legislation as 
would be likely to interfere, seriously, with the interests of the 
people, still, with all its care, that party has found it very dif- 
ficult to maintain its hold on the public confidence and support. 
To prepare the way for the fulfillment of its promise to pay its 
floating obligations in dollars, and, that, at a period not far dis- 
tant, and to avoid the imposition of a heavy tax upon the people, 
the Government found a gradual contraction of the volume of 
its circulation desirable, if not indeed unavoidable. Contraction 
of the currency, as we have said, causes, as a rule, reduction in 
the prices of commodities, and reduction in the prices of com- 
modities results in the general stagnation of trade. When trade 
becomes stagnant many persons are thrown out of employment, 
and they, supposing the fault of their lack of employment, to lie 
at the door of the political party which may happen to be in 
power at the time, are apt, in such a case, to clamor for a change 
of parties, hoping that any change will result in bringing them, 
at least temporary relief. But, while relief is sometimes thus 
obtained, we firmly believe that it is beyond the wisdom or power 
of any party to establish a financial policy, especially on a coin 
basis, which would secure permanent prosperity to the generality 
of the people under the ' ' Old, ' * and that temporary or occasional 
prosperity is all that can be realized by such as long as the ^^Old*' 
endures. Our belief in this apparently bold statement lies partly 
in the fact, attested by abundant experience, that, in our country 
at least, the increasing volume of commodities is seldom repre- 
sented by such an increase in the volume of the circulation as is 
sufficient to make the handling of commodities in the way of pur- 
chase and sale regularly and moderately profitable, and that it 
has been, and, we believe, will continue to be, beyond the wis- 
dom or power of legislation to maintain, what may be termed. 



MONEY. 179 

equilibrium between the two volumes. When the volume of the 
circulation is large in proportion to the volume of commodities, 
the prices of commodities are ordinarily high, and laborers are 
generally actively employed, and *^ Capital" profits largely by 
their employment. When the volume of the former is small in 
comparison with that of the latter, prices are low, and business 
becomes depressed, and many laborers, being then unemployed, 
exhaust, in their weeks or months of non-employment, what they 
had accumulated in times of apparent prosperity : the larger capi- 
talists absorb the means of many of the smaller ones, and so, 
from time to time, the few that are rich, as a rule, become richer, 
while the many, as a rule, remain hopelessly poor. 

We have said that, as soon as the people appear to prosper, a 
considerable number of them become extravagant in their out- 
lays or expenditures, and we may be told that many become, and 
remain, poor on this account; that if such would practise econ- 
omy, and live within their means, the suffering usually or fre- 
quently experienced by them in times of depression would be 
much diminished. We acknowledge the force of this argument, 
and yet we think it will be admitted that extravagance on the 
part of the poor, though objectionable, is not always to be attrib- 
uted to mere improvidence or recklessness. The heads or leaders 
of society are frequently, if not generally, wealthy persons, who, 
without diminishing their estates, indulge, in many instances, in 
extravagant habits; and, as many men are imitative, some ambi- 
tious, and most have some degree of self-respect, it is but natural 
that they should strive to appear and act as nearly as possible 
like their leaders even though the effort to do so should constantly 
keep them poor. We may be told that self-respect does not lead 
men into extravagant habits, but that they are so led by vanity 
and pride. But what are vanity and pride but low or inferior 
forms of self-respect? 

**But," it may be asked, *'have there not always been in the 
world the rich and the poor, and did not Jesus himself justify this 
relation when he said, ' For ye have the poor with you always. 



180 DAY DAWNING, 

and whensoever ye will ye may do them good '?' ^ We reply 
that we believe this statement of Jesus was one which had refer- 
ence simply to a condition of things which had prevailed in *the 
world for ages^ and which was likely to continue therein for ages 
to come, but that it was not intended to be understood as uttered 
in justification of such a relation. He does not say, ^* Ye shall 
have,*' or ^^ ye must have, the poor with you always," but simply, 
** ye have/* And yet there is a sense in which it is probable 
that this utterance will always apply to a portion of the human 
race. It is probable that, even under the *^New,'* some will 
physically or mentally, or both, be, as now, weak or '' poor *' in 
comparison with others, and whom their fellow-beings may bene- 
fit whensoever they will. ^^We that are strong,*' says Paul, in 
his letter to the Romans, '' ought to bear the infirmities of the 
weak, and not to please ourselves." Then there are the ^'poor 
in spirit," the humble, whose numbers, we hope and believe, will 
continue to increase until they shall fill the whole earth. Indeed 
all people should gladly be willing to be always, individually, 
^^poor," in order that all may be, collectively, rich. In this, 
as in all righteousness, we should all rejoice to imitate our Great 
Divine Exemplar and Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, of whom Paul, 
in his second letter to the Corinthians, says: ^' For ye know the 
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for 
your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be 
rich." *^But," it may be said, '^ there always have been, and 
there always will be, hewers of wood and drawers of water." 
True, and there will probably continue to be, also, workers of 
mines^ builders of houses, tillers of the soil, etc. Are not all 
useful occupations honorable ? Let those who would despise, 
neglect, or oppress ^' Labor," remember that God, the Great 
Father of us all, is, of his own good will and pleasure, constantly 
employed in serving us, and that to despise *' Labor " is, there- 
fore, to despise him. We have been taught, and we believe, that 

^^ Honor and shame from no condition rise. 
Act well your part, there all the honor lies." 



NO DIVISION OF INTERESTS SATISFACTORY. 181 

When, therefore, under the *^New,'* the hewer of wood, or 
drawer of water, of three-score years of age, shall present for 
record his duly attested certificate of exemption from labor — the 
evidence of his faithfulness — let his name be inscribed with joy 
upon the Roll of Eminence. 



XV. 

NO DIVISION OF INTERESTS SATISFACTORY. 

THAT in union or combination there is strength, and that 
in separateness or division there is weakness, is self-evi- 
dent. We believe, therefore, that not only the present unequal 
division of property is injurious to all, but that the separate and 
equal ownership or division of it, among individuals, would also 
be disadvantageous and impracticable. It would be very diffi- 
cult (ist) to make a division that would be exactly equal; and 
(2d) it would be still more difficult to maintain such a division. 
A variety of circumstances, ever occurring, would constantly 
disturb it; such, for instance, as sickness, loss by fire, flood, 
drought, etc. It is true, a fund could be set apart, which could 
be used periodically, for the purpose of equalizing conditions; 
but such a system of things would be attended with much trouble, 
jealousy and dissatisfaction, and as each owner of propert;^ would 
in one respect be independent of, and yet in another respect 
accountable to every other owner of property, such a scheme 
would doubtless soon be abandoned as cumbrous, vexatious and 
impracticable. Besides, such a division would tend to unneces- 
sarily irritate, if not to exasperate, those who had been legal 
owners of much property, each of whom might be quite willing 
to exchange his private or separate claim thereto for an undivided 



182 JDA Y DA WNING. 

interest in the property of the whole country, but who might feel 
deeply aggrieved by being transferred from a large private or 
separate estate to one quite limited in extent. 

Furthermore, under such an arrangement, it would be difficult 
if not impossible, to establish a satisfactory system of privileges, 
exemptions and honors, wherewith to reward eminence ; and so 
the world, still in its childhood, would, for lack of incentives to 
action, be retarded in its growth. Incentives similar in character 
to some that we have at present, would doubtless be needed for 
a considerable time to stimulate humanity to action or exertion. 

From every creature which God has made, we may learn some 
useful lesson, or derive some advantage or enjoyment. In the 
industry and perseverance of the ant we have an example of dili- 
gence. '^ Go to the ant, thou sluggard,'* says Solomon, ^^ con- 
sider her ways and be wise." The hive flowing with honey, the 
result of the active and combined efforts of a community of bees, 
teaches us not only the value of diligence, but, in an especial 
manner, the advantage of unity or identity of interests. If each 
one of a hive of these little creatures, fearing that, if he remained 
in the hive, he might perform, or find it necessary to perform, 
more than his proper share of the total amount of labor required 
to supply the wants of all, should conclude to imitate the man- 
ners of men by separating from his fellows, and to act on his 
own account and for his own especial benefit, it is evident that a 
loss of time and labor would be sustained by all of them, for the 
reason that the labor required to furnish and stock thousands of 
small or minute hives would be very much greater than what is 
required to furnish and stock one large hive. Besides, the time 
might come when the flowers of the field, which would be ample 
to meet the necessities of many united communities of these little 
laborers, would no longer sustain each worker comfortably in a 
separate establishment, and then a struggle for subsistence and 
for the mastery would ensue. When we consider that these busy 
little workers are passionate in their natures, and quick to resent 
affront, and that they are armed with poisonous weapons which. 



NO DIVISION OF INTERESTS SATISFACTORY, 183 

on account of any real or imaginary domestic provocation, they 
could readily use against each other, we confess we regard their 
unity and harmony, if not with wonder, at least with much ad- 
miration. We may be told, however, that they are guided in 
all their actions solely by instinct, and that, therefore, their har- 
mony entitles them to but little or no credit. Admitting this to 
be so, shall their instinct be of more value to them, than our 
reason is to us ? Shall passionate and resentful creatures labor 
harmoniously together and for each others* good, and yet the 
offspring of the God of love — '• the children of him who maketh 
his sun to rise on the evil as well as on the good, and who send- 
eth his rain on the unjust as well as on the just '* — be unable 
to unite and harmonize their interests ? 

Under the '^ New '* we believe excesses of every kind would be 
greatly decreased if not entirely avoided, for the reason that every 
rational want would be fully supplied, and the temptation to 
irrational indulgence therefore greatly diminished. While under 
the '^Old,'' wealth on the one hand leads not unfrequently 
to idleness and profligacy, so, on the other, poverty is frequently 
exposed to such temptations as are nearly or quite irresistible. 
^'Give me neither poverty nor riches;*' says Solomon, ^'feed 
me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, 
and say. Who is the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take 
the name of my God in vain." Only through the '* New,'* we 
believe, can the Divine answer to this wise petition be fully en- 
joyed by all. This must be evident when we consider that, as 
long as the ''Old " endures, some will be rich, while others, as 
we have seen, must be correspondingly poor. 

The right of any individual to acquire lawfully and hold in his 
own right any property at all, implies his right to lawfully acquire 
and hold property to an indefinite extent, unless indeed a limit 
be prescribed. And if some limit be deemed necessary, what 
should that limit be? Should the equal comfort and happiness 
of all the people be considered the measure of it, and be con- 
sidered also the end or consummation to be desired? If so, we 



184 DA Y DA WNING, 

think it difficult, if not impossible, to escape the conclusion that 
the '* New '* should supersede the *^ Old "; for we have seen that 
the separate or individual ownership of property, either equally 
or unequally held, would doubtless be unsatisfactory. Certainly 
the unequal ownership of property has never been satisfactory, 
and it is evident it never would or could be made so ; for no 
matter how benevolent the dispositions of capitalists may be, 
the sharpness of competition, (which is constantly increasing) 
and the risks incident to all kinds of business, would constantly 
operate as a powerful restraint upon their generous inclinations, 
and compel them to continue their apparently selfish course ; and 
so the non-capitalists (and they constitute, as we have seen, by 
far the more numerous portion of humanity) would still continue 
to suffer on^ and with the gloomy prospect of suffering more 
and more. 



XVI. 
MAMMON, THE GREAT ANTICHRIST. 

JESUS, our Great Teacher and Divine Exemplar, saw clearly 
that the love of doing good, and the love of overcoming evil 
with good, could not be perfectly enjoyed under any system 
of separate interests: hence he declared to his followers, '^ Who- 
soever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot 
be my disciple^ He could not say to them, '^ Retain the princi- 
pal part of what property you have in your possession, and accu- 
mulate lawfully more if you can, but be generous and humane 
toward the poor; '* for, in so directing them, he would have 
sanctioned the continuance of a system of things which all will 
admit is imperfect, and liable always to be greatly abused. 



MAMMON, THE GREAT ANTICHRIST. 185 

Neither could he say, "Sell the principal part of what property 
you have, and give to the poor/' for the portion retained would 
still present an opportunity for the cultivation of selfishness. As 
the perfect embodiment of justice, truth, and love, he could only 
say to each of his followers and inquirers, as he said to the rich 
young ruler who inquired of him what he should do to inherit 
eternal life : " If thou wilt be perfect, go sell that thou hast, and 
give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and 
come and follow me." His direction to his disciples, enjoining 
this duty, as recorded in the gospel according to Luke, reads 
thus: "Sell that ye have, and give alms: provide yourselves bags 
which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, 
where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where 
your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Under the 
" New " there would be no thief to approach, for there would be 
no temptation to steal ; neither would there be the moth and rust 
of private wealth to corrupt our blessings, or deprave the soul. 
^' Take no thought," said Jesus, " for your life, what ye shall eat, 
neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more 
than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the 
ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have store- 
house nor barn ; and God feedeth them. How much more are 
ye better than the fowls? And which of you by taking thought 
can add to his stature one cubit ? If ye then be not able to do 
that which is least, why take ye thought for the rest ? Consider 
the lilies, how they grow; they toil not, they spin not : and yet I 
say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one 
of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the 
field, and to-nrorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will 
he clothe you, O ye of little faith ? " 

It is as though he had said, "Take no thought for your life, 
what ye shall eat; your life is far more valuable than meat ; there- 
fore God, who has always supplied you, will continue to supply 
you with an abundance of that which will support your life. 
Neither take thought for the body, what ye shall put on; the 



186 JDA V DAWNING, 

body is far more valuable than raiment ; therefore God who gave 
the body will amply provide for its protection. If the ravens 
which neither sow nor reap, and which have neither storehouse 
nor barn, are fed, will not God much more feed you, who, being 
in his own image, are much better than the fowls ? The grass 
of the field, without toiling or spinning, is arrayed in beautiful 
apparel, whose delicacy of tint and texture no human art can 
perfectly imitate. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to- 
day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, will he not 
constantly provide you with every needful thing ? Therefore 
why do ye separate yourselves from each other, one saying, * I 
claim exclusive right to this property,' and another, ^ I claim 
exclusive right to that,' both sometimes contending for the same 
property. Do ye separate because ye fear there will not be an 
abundance for all? For how much longer time shall lilies grow, 
and the fowls of the air be fed with providential care, before ye 
learn, O man, to trust the promises of God? *' 

That the words of Jesus, *' Sell that ye have, and give alms,*' 
were regarded as intended for all those who believe on him, and 
not for the apostles only, is evident from the fact that even after 
the crucifixion of Jesus, the believers at Jerusalem sold their pro- 
perty and had all things common. In the Book of Acts of the 
Apostles (Chap. 2d) it is written, ''And all that believed were 
together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions 
and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." 
In the same Book (Chap. 4th) it is written, ''And the multitude 
of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither 
said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was 
his own ; but they had all things common. And with great 
power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord 
Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there 
any among them that lacked : for as many as were possessors of 
lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things 
that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet ; and 
distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. " 



MAMMON, THE GREAT ANTICHRST. 187 

We are, however, compelled to admit, that a community of 
worldly goods was probably not perfectly maintained among 
the early disciples of Jesus, except for a brief period. Perse- 
cutions arose against them, and many of them left Jerusalem, 
and were scattered abroad; and in their wanderings they 
doubtless found it generally difficult to conform strictly to the 
direction of Christ respecting the use of worldly property or 
estate, and could only adhere to the spirit of that direction. 
Doubtless, in their attempts to carry it out literally, they some- 
times suffered from the ignorance or unworthy motives of some 
who joined them. Even while Jesus was still upon the earth, the 
very first treasurer of the Christian brotherhood proved to be a 
very ambitious and mistaken man. As we have before stated, in 
substance, we do not believe that the betrayer of Jesus intended 
or expected that his betrayal of him would lead to a fatal conclu- 
sion. We believe he thought he was about to perform a sagacious 
business transaction, for which he expected to be commended 
rather than condemned. To add thirty pieces of silver to the 
purse of the brotherhood, he took, we believe, to use the phrase- 
ology of modern speculators, what he believed to be a slight 
risk, which, however, resulted finally, and to the great surprise of 
Judas, we believe, in his Chiefs being condemned to death by 
the civil power. Knowing that Jesus always spoke and acted 
wisely and discreetly not only in times of danger, but at all 
times, and also that he was very popular with the common peo- 
ple, Judas thought, we believe, that the arrest of Jesus would 
be quickly followed by his release, and so, acting in obedience 
to the promptings of a crafty spirit, took the risk of expos- 
ing him to what he supposed would, at most, amount only to an 
inconvenience or a slight discomfort. But when it became evi- 
dent that he had made a terrible mistake, he was filled with the 
deepest anguish and remorse, and life to him became unendura- 
ble. The ''devil " which Judas had, was, we believe, the spirit 
of covetousness. The risk to which he exposed his Chief, and 
the taking of his own life after he found his Chief was condemned 



188 DA Y DA WNING. 

to death, was, we believe, simply one of the many risks which 
have been taken, and of suicides which have been committed, as 
the result of the cultivation of an ambitious and covetous spirit. 

That Christ's direction to his disciples, respecting the disposi- 
tion of their worldly estate, was, after a brief period, carried out 
more in the spirit of it than by a uniform attempt to obey it 
literally, is evident from what the apostle Paul writes in his 
second letter to the Corinthians and elsewhere. To the Corinthi- 
ans, he writes : ^^ Now therefore perform the doing of it; (i. e., 
giving or ministering to the good of others) that as there was a 
readiness to will, so there may be a performance out of that which 
ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted 
according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath 
not. For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened ; 
but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be 
a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a sup- 
ply for your want, that there may be equality as it is written. He 
that had gathered much had nothing over ; and he that had gath- 
ered little had no lack.'' Now, while it does not appear that there 
was a common treasury into which the early Christians who were 
dispersed abroad, did or could deposit their surplus earnings when 
they prospered, and from which they could be supplied when they 
were in want, which, practically, would have amounted to a com- 
munity of interests, still, in the use and enjoyment of earthly 
things, the principle of equality, prompted by benevolence, was, 
we believe, distinctly recognized by them as one which should 
regulate their conduct toward each other and all mankind. The 
words, ^^For I mean not that other men be eased and ye 
burdened," and, ^^that there may be equality," would seem to 
be sufficient to justify this belief. Indeed we think there can be 
no doubt that Christ and the Apostles, and the early disciples of 
Christ generally, regarded individual or private wealth as corrupt- 
ing in its influence. '^ How hardly," said Jesus, ^^ shall they that 
have riches enter into the kingdom of God ! For it is easier for 
a camel to go through the Needle's Eye, than for a rich man to 



I 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 189 

enter into the kingdom of God." '^ Having food and raiment/' 
says Paul, in his first letter to Timothy^ *^let us be therewith 
content. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a 
snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men 
in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root 
of all evil ; which while some coveted after they have erred (or 
been seduced) from the faith, and pierced themselves through 
with many sorrows. '* ^' Go to now, ye rich men,'' says James, 
'* weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 
Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be 
a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. 
Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold the 
hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which 
is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them 
which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord 
of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been 
wanton; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter/* 



XVII. 
EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE "NEW." 



THE benevolent arrangement of having all things common, 
which was adopted by the early Christians, and according 
to the direction, as we believe, of Christ himself, resulted, after 
a brief success, as we have seen, in apparent failure. But, as '^ a 
seed is not quickened except it die," so this arrangement or ex- 
periment, which was ''sown in weakness," will ere long, we 
trust, be *' raised in power." In that day we shall not speak of 
our beautiful world as '' a vale of tears." No longer shall we 



190 DAY DAWNING. 

sing the doleful song, ^^This world's a dream, an empty show." 
The youth, instead of going forth, as now, with the sword of sel- 
fishness in hand, to contend for subsistence, competence, or 
wealth, will ^' covet earnestly the best gifts," and strive to excel 
only in deeds of righteousness; and aided by the almost magic 
power of science, man shall overcome the effects of the so-called 
primal curse, and '' the desert and the solitary places of the 
earth shall be made to rejoice and blossom as the rose." 

In that day all drunkenness would disappear for the reason (ist) 
that there would be no harassing cares or anxieties to tempt men to 
the use of the intoxicating cup ; and (2nd) because those appointed 
to dispense beverages, and medicinal and other drinks, would care- 
fully guard themselves and others against their excessive use. 
As every thing would be dispensed or distributed by prudent men 
and women chosen by the people on account of their trustworthi- 
ness, it is evident that such a thing as confirmed drunkenness would 
be unknown : and this, we respectfully suggest, is the only way 
in which this frightful evil can ever be completely overcome. 
Besides, there would be no temptation then to debase or adulterate 
beverages or drinks, as no possible advantage could accrue to any 
one from their adulteration : hence, as all refreshing or stimulating 
drinks would be pure, their moderate use would probably be 
serviceable to some, and seldom, if ever, seriously harmful to any. 
At present the use of wines and other spirituous liquors, even as 
medicine, is attended with much risk on account of the base 
mixtures which they frequently contain, or of which they are 
sometimes mainly, if not entirely, composed. Dealers in spirit- 
uous liquors are not unfrequently condemned as such, because of 
the great harm which proceeds from the use of a very large part 
of the goods they vend. But it should be borne in mind that i 
pure spirituous liquors at least, are, for certain purposes, useful, 
and that the dealers in them can no more be held responsible for | 
their abuse, than can the dealers in tobacco, confectionery, drugs, i 
poisons, firearms, and such other articles as are also liable to be | 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 191 

greatly abused, be held responsible for the injurious use of them. 
The fault consists not in buying and selling articles or commodities 
whose use can be more abused than others, but it lies, we believe, 
in that system of things which authorizes or permits the buying 
and selling of anything : and we firmly believe that abuses of all 
kinds will continue and multiply until the ^* Old'' is abolished. 
The sale of one useful commodity justifies the sale of another, 
even though one be more or less liable to abuse than another: 
and we firmly believe it is only through the '^ New,'' which would 
terminate all buying and selling, that any corruption or abuse in 
the use of intoxicating drinks or other articles, can be effectu- 
ally corrected. 

What is sometimes called the *' Social Evil," would, we believe, 
be speedily remedied. As there would be, under the *^New," 
none of the social hindrances to marriage which characterize the 
'*01d," the youth, at a suitable age, would be expected to pair 
for life; and thus the evils which now so often result from pro- 
longed or perpetual celibacy would be avoided : and as there 
would be neither individual poverty nor riches to influence choice, 
or bias the judgment, suitable life companionships would doubt- 
less, as a rule, be formed. Separations or divorces, which are so 
common under the ^' Old," would, therefore, under the *^ New," 
be rare; and when deemed proper, for sufficient cause, would 
doubtless occasion but little, if any, bitterness of feeling. In- 
fanticide, and crimes or vices of a kindred character, would cease; 
for the temptation to their commission would no longer exist. 
If there were no other reason why the ''Old " should pass away, 
its dreadful sacrifice of incipient human life would of itself be a 
sufficient one. 

''But," we may be asked, "if human beings become suf- 
ficiently unselfish to enjoy all property in common, why should 
there be such an institution as marriage at all? Is not the rela- 
tion of husband and wife an exclusive, and, therefore, selfish one? 
Is it not opposed to the spirit of divine or universal benevolence. 



192 DA V DA WNING. 

which, you say, is the very essence of Christianity? You say, 
you believe the will of God will yet be done in earth as it is in 
heaven : is there marriage in heaven ? and, if not, why should 
there be on earth? Jesus says, that in the resurrection, they 
neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels 
of God in heaven. If then the will of God be done in heaven 
where there is no marriage, why should there be marriage among 
those who do his will on earth? " 

We reply, that so far, at least, as this world is concerned, the 
dual, or two-fold, relation appears to pertain to most if not all 
things that have life. There are in vegetation, for instance, the 
root and the branch; and in the organism of animals, generally 
two suitable or similar parts. Each well-formed man or woman, 
for instance, has two hands suitable for each other, two eyes, two 
feet, etc. ; and the one organ may be said to be a help meet for 
the other. The right foot may be said to be the companion or 
husband of the left, the left hand the companion or wife of the 
right, etc. But neither is man nor woman, inhimself or herself, 
entirely dual: each has but one heart, one brain, etc., and, in 
order that the duality may be complete, it is desirable, we believe, 
that each should be mated to his or her proper counterpart or 
complement ; and, when so mated, we see no reason why any- 
thing but death should separate them. It is certainly as proper 
for two persons suitably mated to continue together, as it is for the 
two corresponding parts of one person to be by nature joined 
together : and as there are just about as many men as there are 
women in the world, and hence a life companion for each person, 
we see no necessary exclusiveness or selfishness in the marriage 
relation. Polygamy is justly condemned, we believe, (ist) by the 
fact that one man was first created, and then one woman ; and 
not one man and a plurality of women, nor one woman and a] 
plurality of men; and (2nd) by the fact that men and women! 
are generally about equal as to numbers. Those men, therefore,! 
who have a plurality of wives at the same time, necessarily de-| 
prive some other men from having any wives at all, which isj 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 193 

manifestly unjust. In the early ages of the world, the population 
was sparse, and in the wars which occurred between tribes or 
families, it is probable that a large majority of the men were 
engaged, and that, consequently, the number of men killed, in 
proportion to the whole population, was much larger than it has 
been in modern wars, where but a small percentage of the whole 
number of men is ever engaged. As there was doubtless then 
generally many more women than men, and the population was 
sparse, there was an excuse for polygamy at that time, but only 
on the principle that a greater evil is sometimes partially corrected 
by a lesser one. At the present time, polygamy is altogether in- 
excusable, as wars are now not much more than duels on a large 
scale, and hence they disturb but little, the ordinary equality of 
the sexes as to numbers. We know the argument has been used 
that a man is entitled to as many wives as his means will enable 
him to maintain or support, but however plausible such an argu- 
ment may be under the ^^Old," it would of course be invalid 
under the '* New.'* In our judgment, such an argument is really 
one of the strongest that can be urged against the ^^Old.'' 

Furthermore, the population of the heaven or sphere, to which 
it is believed certain or all human beings go when they leave 
this world, consists, and will consist, we suppose, only of per- 
sons born elsewhere, i. e., the population is probably multiplied 
there by accession only, and not by procreation ; and, of course, 
in such a state, it is not necessary that any should marry or be 
given in marriage ; but here upon the earth, where the population 
is not by accessions from another world, but by procreation of 
the species in this, it is proper, we think, not only that human 
beings should marry, but that they should mate suitably and con- 
genially, and, because suitably mated, so continue until separated 
by death. Whatever may have been the opinions of the apostle 
Paul, concerning marriage, the following passage from his first 
letter to the Corinthians, is without ambiguity, and was, we 
believe, wisely written: *^Let every man have his own wife, and 
let every woman have her own husband/' 

I 



194 DA V DA WNING. 

All distinctions founded on Caste would, of course, quickly 
vanish away, for the reason that one of the distinguishing fea- 
tures of the '' New '' would be complete mutual accountability; 
and eminence for merit, to which, in due time, all could easily 
and certainly attain, would take the place of such distinctions. 
Owing to the simplicity of our political system. Caste in our 
country has been kept in check ; but this check, which has, to 
some extent, restrained the manifestation of the domineering 
spirit of Caste among the white portion of our population, would 
seem to have had the effect of intensifying its cruelty toward the 
colored portion ; for it is probable that in no other civilized 
country on the globe has the color line, in social affairs, been as 
distinctly drawn as it has been here. Indeed the sufferings of 
our colored brethren here, in divers ways, have been so great 
that the words of the prophet Isaiah, concerning Christ and his 
sufferings, may, with much propriety, we think, be, in some re- 
spects, also applied to them: '^He is despised and rejected of 
men ; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid 
as it were our faces from him (or he hid as it were his face from 
us); he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath 
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him 
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for 
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities : the chas- 
tisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are 
healed.'* May the patience, humility and forbearance, which 
these down-trodden people have exhibited in the midst of their 
crushing trials, excite in us all a desire to cultivate their virtues, 
and enable us all to appreciate intelligently what we believe to 
be the fact, that they are not inferior to any other people in the 
world in the enjoyment of those virtues which truly adorn 
humanity. 

The * ' Indian Question ' ' has greatly perplexed the thoughtful of 
the land. The powers of the General Government, and the influ- 
ence of many good religious men, have been brought to bear upon 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 195 

it, but without satisfactory results. Reports from the Indian 
country are still apt to be those of disturbance or bloodshed. 
We send our missionaries abroad to enlighten the nations that 
sit in darkness, and light soon springs up ; and yet we appear to be 
unable to enlighten or influence many of those who sit in equal 
or even greater darkness in our midst ; and in our thoughtlessness 
we sometimes imagine we would be justified in exterminating the 
savages, as we are apt to call the Indians, from the earth. All 
sanguinary war is savagery ; but we would respectfully suggest 
that they are the greater savages who provoke the strife. The 
Indian roams over virgin soil, and an affluence of attractions is 
supposed to lie within its bosom. Its reputed golden charms, in 
particular, have excited the cupidity of hundreds, if not of thou- 
sands, and it is not, under the circumstances, marvelous that civil- 
ized selfishness should seek to wrest it from so-called savage hands, 
and that, in open defiance of the law. The ^' Old '* has clearly 
proved its inability to cope, by such measures as are deemed hu- 
mane and just, with the difficulties which surround this question. 
The '^ New/* we believe, would bring the whole matter to a speedy 
and peaceful settlement. There would be nothing under the ' ^ New* * 
to encourage the spirit of wild adventure, under the promptings 
of which so many wrongs have been committed upon the Indian 
race. Besides, the social system of that race still resembles the 
primitive or patriarchal system of society, between which and the 
theory of the ^' New,** there are, as we have seen, prominent 
points of likeness. We would not undervalue the advantages 
which we have derived from our modern civilization, far from it: 
we admit they are immense, and that as instruments they are 
necessary, if not indispensable, to complete the work of the 
world's redemption from evil. Nevertheless^ as children of a 
common Providence, we believe we are all indebted to all peoples 
and systems, whether of the past or of the present, and whether 
savage, civilized or enlightened, for many things. It will not do 
for us to imagine that because we are, as a people, progressing 
in the march of civilization more rapidly than most, if not all. 



196 jDAV da WNING. 

Other peoples, that therefore we are necessarily equal or superior 
to others in every respect. Let the fact that slavery, in its most 
objectionable form, was but recently abolished here, remind us 
that with all our country's boasted superiority, it was, with respect 
to that institution, certainly not in the forefront of civilization ; 
and if there is any custom or institution, even among the uncivil- 
ized, which is, in any respect, worthy of our imitation, let us not 
reject it because it is peculiar to them. As the great apostle Paul 
felt himself indebted ^' both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, 
both to the wise and to the unwise,'* so, we believe, we should 
also feel ourselves indebted for any advantage which even the 
most ignorant or obscure may extend to us. In our admiration 
for the *' New " let us not forget that there is profitable instruc- 
tion even in the '' Old." '^ Every scribe," says Jesus, ^^ which 
is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that 
is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things 
new and old." Says Solomon, in his Song, ** The mandrakes 
give a pleasing scent, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant 
fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my 
beloved." We are well convinced that our care for each other 
under the ^' New " would lead us to be just and charitable toward 
all men, including, of course, our brethren of the forest and 
plain, and that, in time, they learning from us, and we from 
them, we would all become one people. In the early history of 
our country an important treaty was made with a large and war- 
like Indian tribe which was never broken. Let us all, profiting 
by that event, and all the events of the past, earnestly pray that 
the time may soon come when, under the ^^New," a universal 
treaty shall be made which shall unite together the hearts of all 
men in the enduring bonds of righteousness and peace. 

While the Indian problem, in our country, has thus far 
defeated all attempts to bring it to a peaceful solution, and the 
extermination of the Indian race here, is not only hinted at, but 
even openly recommended by many, as the only effectual way of 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 197 

disposing of it, another question is confronting the nation, whose 
solution, under the ^' Old,'' may also become very difficult. We 
allude to the ^^ Mongolian Question.'* The Mongolians are 
already here by thousands, and many millions of them could 
leave their country with but slight effect upon the apparent den- 
sity of its population. The total of the Steam Power in our coun- 
try is already equivalent to the muscular power of millions of 
men, and the increase of the former is rapidly decreasing the 
necessity for the latter, so that the demand for the latter is, of 
course, being constantly reduced. As Steam Machinery con- 
sumes but little, operates powerfully, and works without wages, 
it greatly facilitates what is called over-production of commodi- 
ties, and frequently brings them to a very low price; but as thou- 
sands of human beings are frequently thrown out of employment 
by it, they are thus disenabled to purchase what they need even 
at the reduced figures. It is probable that, for a time, labor-sav- 
ing machinery increased, rather than otherwise, the demand for 
manual labor, but now that the former is applied to so many pur- 
poses, and with the likelihood of its being soon applied to many 
more, the demand for manual labor is rapidly decreasing, and in 
time there will really be but little for human hands to do. The 
fact that thousands of our own population are thus frequently 
thrown out of employment, makes the further introduction into 
our country of all foreign labor under the '' Old," objectionable 
to our own toilers, and the further introduction of the cheaper 
portion of it, even obnoxious to them. Capitalists can generally 
endure competition between themselves without loss of comfort 
or self-respect ; but self-respecting labor finds it very disagreeable 
and disadvantageous to be brought into competition with that 
which is oppressed or degraded. Hence the introduction into 
our country of cheap alien labor, naturally enough, excites the 
opposition of our working people. Indeed, one of the reasons 
why slavery became unpopular here, was the fact that the cheap- 
ness of slave-labor interfered, materially, with the interests 
of free labor, and, as a matter of course, the predominance and 



198 DA V DA WNING, 

prevalence of one or the other of these two systems of labor was 
inevitable. Labor-saving machinery itself, even in its early in- 
troduction, was, in certain cases, considered inimical to the 
interests of many, and if, under the ^^ Old,*' it were allowed to 
compete with manual labor without restriction, it would doubt- 
less be found in time to operate very disadvantageously to 
multitudes. 

Under the *^ New," however, the situation of affairs with re- 
spect to both citizens and aliens would be entirely changed. As 
under that system no citizen would be allowed to labor except 
for the common good, nor be allowed, except by special permit, 
to take any property out of the country, so the alien leaving our 
country might take out of it less property than he brought into 
it, but not more, except by special permit. Thus the citizen 
and the stranger would be treated upon terms of exact equality, 
and no injustice would be done to any. Now, aliens can, and 
frequently do, transact business here to the detriment of our 
own citizens ; and, having accumulated considerable money, re- 
turn to their foreign homes to use it there, leaving us to console 
ourselves with the fact that they are enjoying that for which 
many of our own people are suffering. At present, we are cer- 
tainly in a dilemma with respect to the matter of foreign immi- 
gration, and particularly so with reference to Mongolian 
immigration. Our entire Western Continent contains less than 
one-tenth of the population of the globe, and the United 
States and its territories less than one-twentieth. Our country 
is easy of access on both sides of the continent, and being as 
yet largely undeveloped, and our political system being repub- 
lican and therefore attractive, it is but natural that the over- 
crowded and oppressed peoples of other lands should seek our 
shores for relief. Nor can we consistently with our traditions 
and the spirit of our institutions, forbid their coming. If we 
prevent their further influx into our country, it would cease to 
be, what we have hitherto proudly or nobly declared it to be, 
'*an asylum for the oppressed of all nations." Besides, we are 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 199 

ourselves mainly a people of foreign birth, or the descendants 
of such, and could not therefore with propriety forbid the 
further immigration hither of our kith and kin. If we attempt 
to reject the Mongolian under the flimsy pretext that this is a 
white man's country, the presence of hundreds of thousands of 
our colored citizens who enjoy the right of suffrage here, 
would, of itself, put such an assumption to flight at once, to say 
nothing of the fact that, in the providence of God, no color 
distinction was ever permitted to sully the pages of our National 
Constitution. We cannot reject the Mongolian because he is 
a worshiper of idols, for here, if anywhere in the world, the 
right to worship decently and peaceably, according to the dic- 
tates of one's own conscience, is fully guaranteed. Nor can we 
consistently reject him because, for hire, he leaves his country, 
for a time, to labor in ours ; for, as yet, unfortunately, our con- 
stitutions and laws fully recognize, sanction and protect, the 
relation of employer and employe, or, in other words, the rela- 
tion of Capital and Labor. Indeed, in the early history of 
our country, the ancestors of some of our prominent families 
were brought to these shores under circumstances somewhat 
similar to those under which the Mongolians now frequently 
visit us. Upon a full consideration of the subject, we confess 
we can see no honorable and satisfactory way out of this dif- 
ficulty under the ''Old.'* 

As on every other question men still generally differ, so on 
the '' Sunday " or '' Sabbath Question " there is yet much di- 
versity of opinion. It is contended by some that Sunday, or 
the Sabbath as it is called, should be regarded as a holy day: 
and that, therefore, amusements, and all labor, except works of 
necessity and mercy, should cease on that day. Others equally 
honest, humane, and sincere, declare that that day is the only 
one on which poor men and their families can afford to take any 
recreation away from home, and that therefore public institu- 
tions of some kinds, and public conveyances of all kinds, 



200 DAY DAWNING, 

should be subject to the convenience and accommodation of 
the masses on that day. The former, in vindication of their 
position on this question, generally quote the Fourth Command- 
ment of the Decalogue : 

^^ Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days 
shalt thou labor, and do all thy work : but the seventh is the 
Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any 
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, 
nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is 
within thy gates : for in six days the Lord made heaven and 
earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh 
day : wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed 
it.'' 

The latter claim that this commandment was given to the 
Jews only; that the ^'handwriting of ordinances/' or ob- 
servances, was blotted out by Jesus Christ, '' he nailing it to his 
cross"; that therefore the observance of a day, or time, does 
not now, at least, constitute one of the requirements of the 
moral law : that in quoting, on a certain occasion, from the 
decalogue, Jesus himself omitted the fourth commandment, and 
then quoted another from the Jewish law, and not contained in 
the decalogue (except perhaps in substance), viz.: ^'Thou shalt 
love thy neighbor as thyself;" that so far as the New Testa- 
ment record is concerned, there is nothing whatever to show 
that either Jesus or his apostles ever required or expected their 
followers to set apart for special observance either the seventh 
or any other day — that Jesus declared that '^ the Sabbath was 
made for man, and not man for the Sabbath;" and that in 
saying, as he did, that ''it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath 
days," he simply left the manner and extent of their observance 
to be determined by circumstances. 

While we regard the views of the latter on this subject as cor- 
rect, we nevertheless believe that the observance of one day in 
seven, as a day of rest, has been of immense service to mankind. 
It has, to a considerable extent, moderated many of the evils 



i 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 201 

which have seemed almost to characterize the ^'Old.'* The 
yoke of human bondage, for instance, has doubtless been fre- 
quently made easier, and the burdens of humanity often made 
lighter, on account of the observance of that day. Recurring at 
short and regular intervals, it has frequently arrested men in 
their career of selfishness, and required them to pause^ thus giv- 
ing them time for contemplation and introspection. It is to 
those who believe in the advent of the ^^ New *' upon the earth, 
a type of the peace and rest which shall be enjoyed when the sel- 
fishness and strife of the '* Old '* shall have passed away; and to 
the weary and heavy laden it has, for ages, been the 

'^ Day of all the week the best, 
Emblem of eternal rest." 

As, under the *^ New," labor-saving machinery would be greatly 
increased, and be used as far as possible to lighten manual labor, 
especially hard manual labor, humanity would, of course, have 
more and more of leisure time at its command ; and as there 
would no longer be the relation of rich and poor to prevent, there 
would be nothing whatever to hinder the uniform observance of 
one day in seven as a day of rest; and the differences of opinion 
which might exist concerning its sacredness, would not be likely 
to interfere materially with such observance. We hope and trust 
that this ancient and blessed landmark will never be removed, 
and that it will ever be remembered and valued for the good it 
has done. The conflicting interests of the ^^Old," make the 
uniform observance of the day under that system almost impossi- 
ble ; but as under the ^' New " there would be no selfish interests 
to interfere, its observance would doubtless be general and 
harmonious. 

Amusements, especially public amusements, have, like every- 
thing else under the ** Old," been greatly abused; and so objec- 
tionable have some of them become, that many well-minded and 
prudent people have thought it right to discourage all but a very 
few of them, believing that they are frequently, if not generally, 



202 DA V DA WNING, 

pernicious in their tendencies. At present, some amusements, 
undoubtedly, are so; but we apprehend the fault is not primarily 
with them, or rather with those who furnish them. They who 
provide amusements for the gratification of the public are, to a 
certain extent, merely agents, . simply furnishing what their prin- 
cipal — the public — demands ; and are therefore not solely respon- 
sible for the influence which they appear to exert. If the public 
sentiments and tastes be correct and pure, such amusements only 
will be tolerated as are chaste and refining ; if they be depraved 
and vicious, those chiefly will be enjoyed which are corrupting 
and vile. Public amusements, therefore, usually indicate the 
moral tone or standard of those for whose pleasure they are pro- 
vided. Amusements are to the ordinary enjoyment of our lives, 
what dessert is to our ordinary food, and should therefore be 
used, we believe, with much moderation and discretion. If we 
indulge in them immoderately, we run the risk of becoming weak, 
unpractical and trifling; if we discard them entirely, we are 
likely to become sombre, if not indeed morose and exclusive. 
As we use a variety of desserts at different times, so we believe 
our amusements also, should be varied from time to time, and 
their variety increased rather than diminished. Let it be borne 
in mind that while excess in all things should be carefully avoided, 
this world was nevertheless made to be a Garden of Pleasure or 
Delight ; and that therefore no amusement, nor indeed any enjoy- 
ment which, in its moderate use, is healthful or harmless, should 
be condemned. We are free to admit that, at present, music, 
dancing, games, scenic exhibitions, and the like, are much per- 
verted, but under the ^^ New,** we believe they could and would 
be chastened, and that, combined with instruction, they could be 
made to contribute greatly to the interest and rational enjoyment 
of life. 

Imprisonment for what is called crime would soon, we believe, 
be generally abolished, and eventually entirely so ; for the reason 
that the temptation to transgress would be done away. As, 



I 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEW:' 203 

eventually, there would be no willful transgressions, so, of course, 
there would be no occasion for the infliction of imprisonment, nor 
of any other mode of punishment or special restraint. The doors 
of all public buildings, as well as of ordinary human habitations, 
would then need neither locks^ nor bolts, nor bars. Even now, 
public places of confinement contain but a small part of the whole 
number of those who have the disposition at present to violate 
or disregard the laws. To open the prison doors would, there- 
fore, simply enable those who are held in durance to join their 
fellows who are not so held. Strictly speaking, we are at present 
all criminals in practice : that is to say we are all, wittingly or 
unwittingly, aiding and abetting a system of society, a part of 
whose fruit are destitution, prostitution, robbery, murder, insan- 
ity, and suicide. After all, those who are inmates of prisons dif- 
fer from those who are not^ mainly in the fact that the former 
have committed what is wrong, openly and illegally, while the 
latter are doing what is wrong legally or covertly. In reality, 
the difference between those in prison and out of it is not very 
great. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul puts the 
pertinent question : '^ What then? are we (the Jews) better than 
they (the Gentiles)? " And he replies by saying, *^ No, in no 
wise : for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that 
they are all under sin ; as it is written, ^ There is none righteous, 
no, not one.'" And we believe we all may with equal perti- 
nence ask ourselves the question, '* What then? are any of us 
really better than the inmates of prisons? Are we not all, in the 
business affairs of life, actuated by motives which, in the main, 
are substantially the same as those which brought them into du- 
rance ? And when we declare that, acting in accordance with the 
*^01d," there is, and has been, none righteous in practice, no, 
not one, do we not utter that which has been fully confirmed by 
human experience ? 

But while we believe that, acting in accordance with the 
'^ Old," there is, has been, and can be, none righteous in prac- 
tice, we nevertheless rejoice in the belief that there are thousands. 



204 DAY DAWNING, 

if not millions^ who are holy in heart or spirit, and who would 
hail with gladness the early advent of the *^New." Even far 
back in the ages there were those who loved righteousness, and 
whose encouraging words of prophecy, carefully preserved by the 
wise and good through centuries, have imparted comfort, strength, 
and hope to suffering and despondent ones in the midst of their 
temptations, misfortunes, and trials. How beautiful and comfort- 
ing, for instance, are the following words of the prophet Isaiah : 
** The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me ; because the Lord 
hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek : he hath 
sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to 
the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are 
bound ; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day 
of recompense of our God ; to comfort all that mourn ; to ap- 
point unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty 
for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for 
the spirit of heaviness.'* Under the *^New," the fulfillment of 
this blessed prophecy will be fully realized. Even bold and un- 
scrupulous men, because no longer tempted to acts of violence 
or disorder, will need but little or no restraint ; those undergo- 
ing imprisonment for offences committed under the '* Old " will 
be released, and, with glad surprise and gratitude, will go forth 
to enjoy the bright and beneficent sunlight of heaven, and also 
the cheering light and warmth of human sympathy and love. 
Jesus, our Great Captain and Strong Deliverer, ^^ hath led cap- 
tivity captive/' and he will go on, in the power of his Spirit, 
^^ conquering and to conquer," until every injurious fetter shall 
be broken. 

Under the ^^ New," the Public School Question would no 
longer be a disturbing one. As the products of the earth would then 
be obtained and peacefully enjoyed '^ without money and without 
price," so in educational, and all other matters, there would be 
no question of '' money " or " price " to disturb the general har- 
mony, and, of course, no Public School Fund to dispute about, 



EVILS REMEDIED UNDER THE ''NEWr 205 

nor fears that any sect or sects would or could obtain undue in- 
fluence or power. Indeed, we believe there could then, with 
propriety, and consistently with the public peace and safety, be 
sectarian, as well as non-sectarian, schools under the countenance 
and protection of the state ; the state simply requiring that all 
its children should be educated up to a certain standard, and 
that they should not be taught to disrespect the cardinal prin- 
ciple or principles of the ^^New." We are of the opinion, 
however, that sectarianism would eventually disappear, for the 
reason, as we have before stated, that ^^ everything that is intrin- 
sically valuable in any religious, or other system, would find its 
best illustration or exemplification in the harmonious workings 
of the ^New.' " At present, we believe it is altogether desirable, 
and indeed very important, that secular interests in our country 
should be kept carefully and entirely distinct from religious or 
sect interests. The ^^ Old " has already a mountain of discord 
pressing upon it — quite as much as it can bear without violent 
rupture or outbreak — and the attempt to introduce here in our 
country anything which even leans in the direction of a combi- 
nation of Church and State, is calculated now, and perhaps more 
than it ever was before, to excite jealousy, and to add to the 
pressure, which, if much increased, may result in bringing down 
the accumulated discord like an avalanche upon us all, and in 
covering society and the state with confusion, if not with desola- 
tion. We are therefore of the opinion that, at present, our pub- 
lic schools should be entirely secular, and that, therefore, reli- 
gious exercises, and the reading of any version or versions of 
the Holy Scriptures, or of any sect book, should be carefully 
avoided therein. 



XVI 1 1. 
NATURAL RIGHTS. 

^' 13 UT/' it may be asked, '' by what right do you propose 
r^ to have all individual and private ownership of property 
abolished ? Is it just or fair that those who have labored faith- 
fully, perhaps for forty or fifty years, and secured considerable 
means, should be required to surrender it all for the common 
good? Have not such, exclusive right to the enjoyment and dis- 
position of what they have earned? '' 

We reply, that as the earth was not created by man, so no man 
has, or ever had, by nature, the right to the exclusive ownership 
of it, or of any part of it ; and of course he could not, nor can- 
not, properly delegate to others a right which, by nature, he does 
not now, and never did, possess. The common possession or 
use of the earth by all men, is, therefore, as much one of the 
natural and unalienable rights of man, as is the right to '' Life, 
Liberty, or the Pursuit of Happiness; " and it is by virtue of 
man's inherent, natural right, that we propose to have restored to 
all men those just relations between man and man which human 
laws, thus far, have unhappily and so generally disturbed. The 
fact that by general consent, or agreement, or by force, men 
have, for the most part, in the past, held property by private legal 
right, and that the authority for so holding it, has generally been 
in the form of written laws made by or for the people, cannot 
properly be urged as a reason why any man should continue to 
be deprived of his natural rights. Evils do not become respec- 
table by reason of age. However ancient their origin, their na- 
tures remain unchanged : they are evils still, and should be abol- 
ished. It is true that a man who has been faithfully and usefully 
employed for forty or fifty years, is doubtless entitled to more 



NATURAL RIGHTS. 207 

than ordinary consideration and regard, and to the full enjoy- 
ment of life ; but we fail to perceive how the fact of his having 
been so employed, entitles him to the exclusive ownership of any 
part of the earth or of its fruits. Certainly no man, nor com- 
pany of men, has the natural right to confer such ownership upon 
him : therefore how can he properly claim it ? One may say, 
^^ he claims certain property because he has earned it.'' But, 
pray, how can he earn property unless his fellow-men give him 
the right to do so ? and, assuming that they have the right to 
confer upon him the privilege of earning property, have they not 
the right to withdraw that privilege, especially when they find 
the use of such a favor manifestly detrimental to their interests ? 
But assuming that, from indifference about, or from neglect to 
assert it, it were conceded that man had forfeited his claim to 
the restoration of his natural rights as such, there is a right still 
recognized by the laws of our country, if not indeed by the laws 
of all civilized nations, under which we believe man could legally, 
as well as justly, liberate himself from the thralldomof the ''" Old,'* 
viz. : the right of eminent domain — the right of government to 
take private property for necessary public uses at a fair valuation. 
Now we believe, as we have before stated, that the time is near 
at hand when it will become absolutely necessary for the peace, 
prosperity, and happiness of our country, and indeed of the whole 
world, that, by some proper authority, the *' New " should super- 
sede the ^ ^ Old. " If it be alleged that any law which would dispos- 
sess the present legal owners of all private possession of property, 
would necessarily prevent them from receiving any compensation 
therefor, and that, consequently, they could not consistently with 
past usage respecting the application or exercise of the right of 
eminent domain, be thus dispossessed, we reply: that, consist- 
ently with the spirit of that right, they certainly could ; for we 
aver that every property holder under the ^^ Old,'' would realize 
by the change, not only an equivalent for the property thus re- 
stored to society or the state, but far more than an equivalent. 
Even the wealthiest man in the country would profit by the 



208 DA V DA WNING, 

change ; for however vast his possessions are^ or may become, 
he is never positively certain that he will be able to maintain his 
ownership of them through the whole of life ; whereas, under the 
^^New/' his interest as part owner of an undivided estate 
could only end with death. Under the *^01d," *' riches fre- 
quently take to themselves wings and fly away," but under the 
*'New,'' all, as owners in common of a grand estate, would be 
rich to the latest generation. The property of the wealthiest 
man in our country, is worth, expressed in money, a sum not 
exceeding, perhaps, five hundred millions of dollars, all of 
which he or his heirs are, at any time, liable to lose through 
misfortune, or to squander through folly; but under the 
*' New,'* he would have an equal interest, with all others, to all 
the property in the land — property constantly improving, and, 
at this time, estimated to be worth about thirty-two thousand 
millions of dollars — and this with the assurance that his title 
thereto wofild remain undisturbed through life, and be held and 
enjoyed, in like manner, by his heirs forever. We say, forever. 
In the Apocalypse it is written : '*The second woe is past ; and, 
behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh 
angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven^ saying, 
the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our 
Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.*' 
Our country in throwing off the yoke of a monarchical govern- 
ment, passed through its first great woe ; in purging itself of 
slavery, it was subjected to another severe ordeal of fire and 
blood ; its third, and, we believe, its last great trial cometh 
quickly. We firmly believe it will safely pass through this, and 
that our beloved Republic will thenceforth and forever rejoice 
in the uninterrupted harmony and prosperity of the '^New.*' 
The redeemed of the Lord will then not only be able to ^' read 
their title clear to mansions in the skies,'' but they and all will 
be able to hold and keep their title clear to equal rights through- 
out the land. Thus a perpetual indemnity against want, and an 
assurance of rational happiness to all, will be secured. These 



NATURAL RIGHTS. 209 

no social system of the ^^ OW ever did, ever could, or ever 
can secure. The '^ New '* would make the poor man rich, and 
the rich man richer. 

As we have already shown, our country is remarkably well 
prepared for the early advent of the ** New.'* Our declarations 
and professions as a people or nation, would, of themselves 
alone, fully justify us all in giving the ^'New'* a cordial wel- 
come. For instance, we have as a people, declared that ^' We 
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created 
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain un- 
alienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pur- 
suit of Happiness ; that to secure these rights. Governments are 
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the con- 
sent of the governed ; That whenever any Form of Govern- 
ment becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the 
People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, 
laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its 
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect 
their Safety and Happiness.'* The preamble to our National 
Constitution reads thus: *^ We the People of the United States, 
in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure 
domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote 
the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to our- 
selves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Consti- 
tution for the United States of America.*' 

The excellence of what is generally denominated the Golden 
Rule, is freely acknowledged, viz.: *^A11 things whatsoever ye 
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Es- 
tablished then, as our country is, in the principles of justice, 
and furnished, as we all are, with ''the armor of righteousness 
on the right hand and on the left," surely the powers of sel- 
fishness still remaining in our midst, ought speedily to be 
overcome. And let us hope and trust that henceforth the 
enemies of our country's peace can be overcome with ballots 
only. The American people have at various times deemed it 



210 JDA V DA WNING. 

necessary to resist both foreign and domestic foes even unto 
blood, and far be it from us to attempt to cast reproach upon 
their memories for so doing, or for doing whatsoever they be- 
lieved was for the country's good. In their efforts and strug- 
gles to obtain and maintain their rights and interests, they 
doubtless have generally been actuated by worthy motives, and 
we believe that those who honestly and sincerely resist their 
country's enemies by force of arms, are, in so doing, not con- 
demned by the God of charity. Popular Sovereignty or the 
Free Ballot, is undoubtedly the best safe-guard of the people 
against oppression or misrule, and we believe that, under the 
guiding hand of Providence, its enjoyment has really been one 
of the principal objects^ if not, indeed, the principal object, 
for which, either intelligently or otherwise, the world has been, 
and is still struggling, and that its universal possession or enjoy- 
ment would be the means of bringing human warfare to a 
speedy close. And, now that universal manhood suffrage in our 
country is well established, may we not reasonably indulge the 
hope that, as no class of our people is any longer under the 
temptation or supposed necessity of fighting for the ballot, we 
shall all be able henceforth to settle all our differences and dif- 
ficulties with the ballot? 

David, the King of Israel, was not permitted to build an 
house unto the name of the Lord, because he had been a man 
of war, and had shed blood. It was reserved for Solomon, the 
peaceable, his son, to build the house of the Lord, and to estab- 
lish a kingdom whose glory and renown should fill the whole 
earth. And, now that our own country has passed through the 
fiercer antagonisms of the ''Old,'' and God has given us, as a 
people, ''abundance of peace," let us no longer delay, but, 
with willing hearts and hands, let us proceed to the erection of 
the Social System of the "New" — a System whose greatness 
and grandeur shall as far transcend the glories of the ancient 
time and temple, as the splendor of the meridian sunlight tran- 
scends the brightness of the early dawn. 



I 



SELFISHNESS NO T INSURMO UNTABLE. 211 

Concerning the house of the Lord which Solomon builded, 
it is written (ist Kings VI^ : ^'And the house when it was in 
building, was built of stone, made ready before it was brought 
thither : so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any 
tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building.'* 
The stones and timbers of which this house was mainly com- 
posed, were wrought or fashioned, we suppose, in the quar- 
ries and in the mountains ; and, in the course of their prep- 
aration, much noise and confusion of sounds doubtless fell upon 
the ear ; but, in the course of its erection, no discord nor jar- 
ring sounds were heard throughout the house. Amid a stillness, 
emblematic of the sweet peace which the weary soul experiences 
that has found a place of rest, the stately pile was reared. And 
now, that, in our own beloved land, the materials for perfect 
social happiness are all prepared, let the noiseless, peaceful 
ballot alone be employed to preserve the stillness, as our people 
shall proceed to the erection of the Social System of the 
^^New.'' 



XIX. 

SELFISHNESS NOT INSURMOUNTABLE. 

IT is admitted that, particularly within the present century, 
extraordinary progress has been made in the diffusion of use- 
ful knowledge ; that labor-saving machinery within the same 
period has been invented and utilized to an extent very far 
greater than ever before ; that the number of persons engaged 
in works of benevolence is constantly increasing ; and that 
teachers of morality and religion have been, and still are, as 
active as ever in their respective callings. Nevertheless, it is 



■212 DAY DAWNING, 

contended that the selfishness of man presents an obstacle to 
the introduction of the *^New," exceedingly difficult to over- 
come, if not indeed insurmountable. 

We admit that, by long indulgence, and the force of habit, 
selfishness has obtained great influence and power in the world. 
In one form or another, it is manifested more or less in almost, 
if not in every living thing. But let not this fact discourage 
those who hope for and expect, the early advent of the '* New:'* 
nay, rather let this fact be their best encouragement. It is true 
there are those who appear to love themselves quite exclusively, 
but we believe that, as a rule, such, when fully enlightened, will 
take pleasure in doing to others as they would have others do to 
them ; whereas they who are indifferent about themselves, will, 
as a rule, care but little for the happiness of others. Selfishness 
is simply unenlightened, perverted self-love — it is self-love in 
excess. Reason and Religion, aided by Science, will ere long, 
we trust, make it plain that all excess is injurious, and wholly 
unnecessary ; and that men can best promote their own happi- 
ness, and that of their fellow-men, by avoiding excess in all 
things, and that this can be done, effectually, only under the 
** New." Long time have many men — especially the leaders 
among men — reveled in excess ; long time have they indulged 
largely in the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and 
evil. They have indulged therein until, in the extent of their 
knowledge, they have become, and are becoming '^as gods.'' 
Best of all, their very errors have had their blessed compensa- 
tions. Indeed, if man had not erred, he could not, as we have 
seen, have known the fulhiess of the Divine benevolence. 
Man's desire for, and enjoyment of excess, may be likened to 
*/ the flaming sword which was placed at the east of the garden 
of Eden, which turned every way to guard the way of the tree 
of Life" after man had been driven from the garden. For 
love of excess has, through all the ages of the world, turned 
every way in its search for irrational enjoyment and, as a rule, 
has diverted or attracted man away from the heavenly path. 



SELFISHNESS NO T INSURMO UNTABLE, 213 

But now that man's experience is greatly enlarged, let him pre- 
pare himself for the enjoyment of a better state — for the enjoy- 
ment here, as well as hereafter, of the ^'healing leaves and 
pleasant fruits of the tree of life" — for the enjoyment of the 
''pure river of water of life/' And let it never be forgotten 
that the enjoyment of individual or private worldly wealth is 
the enjoyment of excess, and that excess in all its forms is evil. 

Let us not be misunderstood. We do not regard the ''Old 
as consisting chiefly of faults : far from it. To even regard it as 
tending rather to evil than to good, would be to doubt the in- 
fluence and power of that Being by whose wisdom man was cre- 
ated "subject to vanity.*' There is more happiness than misery 
or sorrow in the world — more good than evil. That this is so 
is evident from the fact that men generally cling to life. We do 
not believe that evil was appointed that good might come out of 
it j but that it was impossible (all things being considered) to 
make man otherwise than subject or liable to evil; and that, 
therefore, even his faults have been and will be, in the providence 
of God, invariably overruled for good. The "Old " is, at least 
in part, really the product of the mistakes which man has made 
in the infancy and childhood of the race : the introduction of 
the "New" will indicate man's maturity. As we have already 
said, " the maturing world is beginning to put away its childish 
things;" and we believe the time is not far distant when the 
weakness and inexperience of its youth, will be succeeded by the 
wisdom and strength of a noble manhood. 

To the end that the ' ' New ' ' may, without delay, be established 
in the earth, let men of all classes and conditions, prompted by 
love to God, and to each other, immediately urge the importance 
of its early introduction upon the attention of their fellow-men. 
Especially, let those who, in worldly matters, have been and are, 
energetic and enterprising ; those who are earnest and enthusiastic 
in their natures; those who possess more than ordinary intelli- 
gence and natural endowments — the leaders, the captains of men, 
the men of note — let such, in particular, awake to a due sense 



214 DAY DA WNING. 

of the disadvantages and dangers which threaten us all under the 
'^Old/' and of the priceless value of the blessings which may be 
realized under the ^^New." Long time have many of the leaders 
among men, indulged the self-satisfying delusion that their time 
and talents belonged chiefly, if not exclusively, to themselves ; 
that their superior abilities have entitled them to the enjoyment 
of superior rights ; and^ acting upon this assumption, have not 
regarded the rights of their fellow-men. Let this specious, but 
mistaken fancy, be at once dispelled ; and let such, and all men, 
be animated by the earnest and excellent spirit which has dis- 
tinguished many of the great and good in the past. Let us all 
emulate, for instance, the spirit and conduct of the great apostle 
Paul, who, on a certain occasion, said: **I have coveted no 
man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that 
these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them 
that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so 
laboring ye ought to support the weak ; and to remember the 
words of the Lord Jesus, how he said. It is more blessed to give 
than to receive.*' In his epistle to the Romans, Paul says: 
*^We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, 
and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neigh- 
bor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not 
himself; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that re- 
proached thee fell on me." In his epistle to the Galatians, he 
says: ^^Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of 
Christ." Said Jesus to his apostles : ^^ Whosoever will be great 
among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be 
chief among you, let him be your servant." Let those of any 
religion or sect, who claim to be ^^a chosen generation, a 
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people," remember 
that they are entitled to such distinction, only as they are ^ ^zealous 
of good works ;" only *' as they show forth the praises (or virtues) 
of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous ; 
light." Let those who declare that if Christ had not chosen ^ 
them, they would not have chosen him, remember that, if they I 



SELFISHNESS NO T INSURMO UNTABLE, 215 

are choice, or chosen, it is ^^ that they should go and bring forth 
fruit/' Let such remember that they are elect or select, not in 
order that they alone should be saved, but that they should be 
active instruments in the hands of God in the blessed work 
of saving their fellow-men; that for this purpose even ^^ Christ 
himself is laid in Zion for a sure foundation — a chief corner-stone, 
living, elect, precious/' Let capitalists, who, owing mainly to 
sharp competition between themselves, realize in many instances 
how difficult it is to save even themselves from poverty, see, from 
their own perplexities and embarrassments, the almost hopeless, 
prospect which confronts the multitudes who depend upon them 
for their daily bread. In short, let all, of whatsoever name or 
condition, seeing that the ^' Old " is outliving what of usefulness 
there has been in it, at once combine their efforts to establish 
the Social System of the '' New." 

Nor let the magnitude of the work discourage those who are 
honest and earnest in the cause. Let such remember that, in a 
good cause, '^ five shall chase an hundred, and an hundred shall put 
ten thousand to flight '* ; and that by the same proportion of in- 
crease of influence or power, ten thousand shall put five millions to 
flight, and that less than five millions shall overcome the world. 
' ' A little one, ' ' says the prophet Isaiah, * ' shall become a thousand, 
and a small one a strong nation : I the Lord will hasten it in his 
time.** When Gideon went down to attack the army of the 
Midianites, which consisted of an hundred and thirty-five thou- 
sand men, he took with him, for this purpose, only three hundred 
men ; but they were earnest men — men of faith and courage — 
men who in their eagerness to press forward and surprise the foe, 
would not, though thirsty, bow down upon their knees to drink, 
but, unlike others, hastily lapped the water from the stream. 
And now let the little band of earnest ones — the select or chosen 
followers of him who is " Faithful and True '* — charge upon the 
mighty hosts of Mammon : and as Gideon's companies had their 
battle-cry : '^ The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," so let this 
band of elect or chosen ones go forth with its rallying cry, 



216 DA Y DA WNING. 

*^ God's love is our sword — love worketh no ill to his neighbor.*' 
And let their voices ring out full and free as the sound of a bell 
upon the clear morning air, No ill, No ill, No ill: 

No ill to the rich, 7to ill to the poor ; 

No ill to the great, no ill to the small \ 

No ill to the high, no ill to the low; 

No ill to the friend, no ill to the foe. 
In the early history of the Christian Church, the members 
thereof, as we have seen, sold their property or possessions, and 
had all things common, i. e., they converted their houses^ lands 
and goods, by sale, into that portable or convenient form of prop- 
erty called money, and the use of this they enjoyed in common, 
^* distribution being made unto every man according as he had 
need.'* They could not, at that time, hold property in common 
in any other way ; but now that Christianity has become a power 
in the world, the time is near at hand, we believe, when this 
Christian principle of common property will be made the cardi- 
nal feature of the organic law of states ; and then, of course, 
money will not be needed to represent other values, and the sil- 
ver and the gold can all be converted into articles of orna- 
ment or use. 

To the suggestion that such a condition of things would involve 
a virtual union of Church and State, and that unpleasant conse- 
quences might result therefrom, we have to say, as we have already 
said, that the ^'New'* would lead to harmony in all things; 
that each could worship God according to the dictate of his own 
conscience, and without the slightest fear of interference from his 
neighbor ; that religious parties are at variance now not so much 
because of differences in matters of faith, as they are on account of 
differences of worldly condition ; and that the abolishment of the 
*^OW would quickly extinguish all unpleasant dissensions; 
that when Mutual Accountability is firmly established among 
men, there could and would be no harmful combinations of any 
kind ; that evils result mainly from the possession and exercise of 
Irresponsible Power, and that, when this is abolished, differences 



SELFISHNESS NO T INSURMO UNTABLE, 217 

of opinion, on religious or other subjects, would lead to no un- 
pleasant results. 

It is written (Judges, Chap. VII.) that when Gideon's three 
hundred chosen men blew their trumpets, displayed their lights, 
and shouted round about the camp of the Midianites, that the 
Lord set every man's sword against his fellow even throughout 
all the host, and that the host fled. 

As then the mighty army of Israel's enemies fled before a little 
band of earnest and determined souls who, with God's name upon 
their lips and with torches in their hands, stood firmly in their 
places and alarmed the foe, so now the hosts of Mammon can be 
easily overcome by the power of God, and the full displays of 
the light of truth set forth through chosen men. For although 
the hosts of Mammon are apparently united by a common bond 
or feeling of selfishness, they are, nevertheless, by force of cir- 
cumstances, really divided against each other, and not only is 
Capital divided against Capital, but Labor also is divided against 
Labor, and both Capital and Labor are divided against each 
other, so that every man's hand appears to be lifted in opposition 
to his fellow ^^even throughout all the host." Now, as ^^a 
house divided against itself cannot stand," even though it be 
large, so a truly united house, even though it be small at first, 
must eventually prevail. 

Therefore, in the effort to introduce and establish the ^' New," 
let there be no faint-heartedness among the professed followers of 
him who is ^'Faithful and True." And as such have shown 
themselves zealous for the everlasting welfare of the souls of men, 
so now let them take an earnest interest in the welfare also of 
the bodies of men. It has been said, ^' Take care of the pence, 
and the pounds will take care of themselves." Now, while we 
are not prepared to say that the scrupulous care of the lesser — 
the body — will invariably secure the everlasting happiness of the 
greater — the soul — we, nevertheless, do say that the soul will not 
suff*er from any proper care or attention which may be bestowed 
upon the body. The fact that the children of able and prudent 

K 



218 DAY DA WNING. 

parents are generally carefully taught and provided for, with the 
object of promoting their general well-being, is evidence that the 
parents do not expect evil results to flow from careful attention 
to their wants, while it is well known that evil consequences have 
in many cases, resulted from indifference toward, or neglect of, 
the dependent. ^^ Train up a child in the way he should go/* 
says Solomon, *^and when he is old he will not depart from it.*' 
And, with equal propriety, we believe we can say to the leaders 
and captains of men, ^*' See to it that those who depend upon you 
to lead and advise them aright, shall not be disappointed in you; 
make their cause your cause, their happiness your happiness, and 
you shall not be disappointed in them. Able man, eminent man, 
chosen man, in an especial sense — 

Thou art thy brothers' keeper. 
And not only does the voice of thy brothers* blood — blood 
shed through thy selfishness or neglect — cry unto God from the 
ground, but living men are constantly looking unto thee for sym- 
pathy, and crying unto God and thee for help. Awake then 
from thy slumber, O man of noble heart and mind, whosoever 
and wheresoever thou art, and stand up for God, for Truth, for 
Humanity, and Right. 



XX. 

WRITTEN LAWS STILL NECESSARY. 

WE have said that we believe the time is near at hand 
when the Christian principle of Common Property will 
be made the cardinal feature of the organic law of states; and we 
believe our own country is better prepared than any other to take 
the initial step in this matter. Already our Political System is 
republican, and we have only to banish the ^^ Old '* from among 
us, to make our Political and Social Systems homogeneous and 
harmonious. In fact the two Systems would be so completely 
fused into one that the difference between them, if any, would 
be hardly distinguishable. The Political System would simply 
embrace the larger, or more comprehensive affairs of state ; the 
Social, the smaller, or those which relate to matters of every-day 
life ; but they would be essentially one — one in spirit, one 
in purpose. 

As any measure, to be effective, must be established by law, 
or receive the protection of law, so, therefore, the '* New,'* to be 
thoroughly effective, must be established and supported by the 
law of the land. Irresponsible Power always has been more or 
less abused, and will doubtless continue to be abused as long as 
it exists. A desire to hold or possess it, implies a willingness to 
abuse it, and it is therefore not safe — certainly not as yet — to de- 
pend upon moral influence or suasion only, for the correction of 
human faults. Measures, whether good or bad, to be practically 
effective, must, as yet, be made so by force of law. 

Let a political party therefore be formed, whose chief object 
shall be to promote such legislation as will lead to the lawful 
establishment of the *' New," and let the party be known as the 



220 DA Y DA WNING. 

United Republican Party. We suggest this name for the party 
as being a more appropriate one for such a party than any other 
that could be adopted. Our country, it is true, is called the 
United States of America ; but we have never been a truly united 
people, and, we believe, we never will be until all our individual 
interests are merged into one common interest. We would have 
our country to be not merely a confederation of states, which by 
some it is claimed to be, but a United Republic ; hence we would 
call the party favoring such a republic. The United Republican 
Party, the members composing it. United Republicans, the 
individual member of it, a New Republican. Let the motto of the 
party be. Common Property and United Interests, as against Di- 
vided Property and Opposing Interests ; or the '^ New'' as against 
the ^ ' Old . ' ' Let its candidates for political positions — especially 
those for congressional positions — be pledged to vote for such 
measures as will favor the accomplishment of its cherished object ; 
and when the party is found to be, or is supposed to be, suffi- 
ciently strong, let a proposition be submitted, according to one 
or the other of the modes prescribed by Article V, of the Na- 
tional Constitution relating to amendments, to modify or amend 
the said Constitution, and let the principle of Common Property 
or the ^^ New," be the distinguishing feature of the modified or 
amended Instrument ; and, when duly ratified, let this vital or 
distinguishing feature of it thenceforth and forever continue to be 
the fundamental principle of the law of the land. 

We would recommend that- the new article or amendment 
should, in substance, read as follows, to wit : — 

ARTICLE . 

Section i. 

I. Individual or private ownership of property, being incom- 
patible with the general welfare of the people, is forever prohib- 
ited in the United States ; and all property of or in the United 
States IS held or owned by the citizens thereof in common. 



WRITTEN LA WS STILL NECESSAR K 221 

2. The coining of money in the United States for circulation 
therein, or the use of money as a circulating medium between 
citizens thereof, is forbidden. 

3. All pecuniary claims whatsoever against the United States 
held and owned by any citizen thereof, and all pecuniary claims 
held and owned by citizens thereof against each other, and by the 
United States against any citizen thereof at the time of the rati- 
fication of this article, are null and void: and all pecuniary con- 
tracts between citizens of the United States or between the United 
States and any citizen or citizens thereof, are forever prohibited. 

4. Commercial intercourse and amity between the United 
States and foreign states, and the citizens or subjects of foreign 
states, is recommended ; and all lawful claims of any foreign 
state or of any citizen or subject thereof, against the United 
States or any citizen or citizens of the latter, shall be discharged 
by the United States. 

5. All persons of foreign birth in the United States who intend 
to reside therein, if not already citizens thereof, are required to 
become citizens of the United States; and all aliens having prop- 
erty in the United States, but not intending to become citizens 
thereof, are required to remove the same therefrom, or receive 
just compensation therefor. But nothing in this provision shall 
be construed to interfere with the exercise of due courtesy to 
strangers who may come to the United States as visitors, or as 
representatives of commercial or business houses abroad, or as 
representatives of foreign states. 

Section 2. 
I. Polygamy being incompatible with justice, good order, and 
morality, is forbidden in the United States. 

Section 3. 

1. The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall 
not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state 
thereof, on account of sex. 

2. The congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate 



222 DA Y DA WNING, 

legislation, the provisions of this article ; and any thing either 
expressed or implied in this constitution, or in the laws of the 
United States, or in the constitution or laws of any state or terri- 
tory of the United States, inconsistent with the provisions of this 
article, is inoperative or void. 

It will be observed that we do not propose the use of abrupt 
measures for the bringing about of the desired change. We 
could, we suppose, justifiably recommend, for the purpose of 
effecting such a change, the formation of a new national consti- 
tution to supersede the present one; and that the convention 
framing it should authorize its ratification by a majority of the 
congress and of the states less than that required by article V, of 
the present constitution, relating to amendments. But we prefer 
not to abandon the constitution of our fathers, but, regarding it 
as a firm foundation, we propose to build upon it to a higher 
plane, and, standing there, to still regard our grand old con- 
stitution of 

«<We the people do ordain and establish," 
as a solid and enduring basis. 

If it be said that an attempt to form, at this time, a new politi- 
cal party with such an object in view, would be premature, 
and result in failure, we reply, that, in that case, the effort would 
simply have to be suspended until there should be a better pros- 
pect of success. But that if such an attempt should be successful, 
it would prove that the movement was not premature. 

If the movement be objected to on the ground that its present 
success would cause sudden or rapid changes in the habits and usa- 
ges of society, and that, as a result of these, many persons would 
be subjected for a time to the liability of much annoyance, incon- 
venience, and trouble, we have to say, that no important change 
from one condition of things to another can be made without 
incurring such a liability. If a man build a house and remove 
to it from another, the matter of building and removing will in- 
volve a certain amount of inconvenience. Even some of the 
ordinary or natural changes which occur in the course of human 



I 



WRITTEN LA WS STILL NECESSAR V. 22a 

experience, are attended with much suffering, anxiety, and solici- 
tude. We have seen too that contrast is one of the principal 
mediums through which we enjoy our existence ; and in the tran- 
sition from the '* Old '* to the *' New,'' we must expect that the 
darker shades of the contrast will be, to many, somewhat trying, 
and to some, possibly, even afflictive. But as the inevitable suf- 
ferings and anxieties of life are frequently succeeded by results 
which bring unusual joy and gladness, so the trials experienced 
in the transition from the ^^ Old,'* will increase our appreciation 
of the blessings of the '' New." The apostle Paul, in his letter 
to the Romans, contrasting present sufferings with expected glory, 
says: ''For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are 
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed 
in us.'* In his second letter to the Corinthians, he says, '' For 
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a 
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 

To the suggestion that the movement, in its incipiency, would 
be countenanced or encouraged mainly by the poor and the suf- 
fering, by the idle and disorderly, and that the connection of the 
latter with the cause would bring it into disrepute, we reply, that, 
in our judgment, the cause would not be disgraced by such a 
following. We have seen that, all things being considered, God 
could not have created man otherwise than with a liability to err, 
and that it is therefore our duty, as it should be our greatest 
pleasure, to provide for the needy, and to reclaim the wandering. 
It is in this spirit, we trust, that the Church sends forth her affec- 
tionate invitation to the erring, the desolate, and the distressed, 
to come to Christ. '' Come," she says : — 

*' Come ye sinners, poor and wretched, 

'* Weak and wounded, sick and sore, 

'' Jesus ready stands to save you, 

" Full of pity, love and power: 

'* He is able — 

*' He is willing — doubt no more." 
When David, the king of Israel, commenced his career as a 



224 DA V DA WNING, 

leader among men, his followers were not from among the nota- 
bles of the land, but, it is written (ist Samuel: XXII), that 
*^ every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, 
and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto 
him ; and he became a captain over them : and there were with 
him about four hundred men/' In point of numbers, this band 
was certainly not a formidable one, and the materials which com- 
posed it were, to a considerable extent at least, not of the choic- 
est kind. Nevertheless, David's power increased, and he became 
king over Israel, and his kingdom and his government, and that 
of his son Solomon, his successor, became world-renowned. ^ ^ God 
hath chosen,'' says Paul, ^'base things of the world, and things 
which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to 
nought th ings that are ; that no flesh should glory in his presence. * ' 

Certainly the attachment of the needy and the afflicted to the 
movement, should in no sense whatever cause it to be disparaged. 
For not only, as we have said, are sufferings frequently valuable, 
in that our enjoyments are increased by contrast with them, but 
they serve also to purify the heart and life. Suffering is to the 
true soul what the refiner's fire is to gold. It is through suffer- 
ing that the dross of our natures is consumed, and the gold re- 
fined. Even Christ Jesus himself was made perfect through suf- 
ferings. ^^ For it became him," says Paul, in his epistle to the 
Hebrews, ^^ For it became him, for whom are all things, and by 
whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make 
the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Let us 
therefore accept with thankfulness the valuable experience which 
sufferings frequently beget, and, whether we be rejoicing or sor- 
rowing, let us not treat with indifference or contempt the claims 
or cause of suffering or neglected humanity. 

To the suggestion that such a movement would cause millions 
of persons to be dissatisfied with their present condition, and that 
it is wrong to promote or encourage a feeling of discontent among 
the people, we have to say, that, while, without doubt, it is gen- 
erally good not to encourage such a feeling, it is, nevertheless, 



WRITTEN LA WS STILL NECESSAR V. 225 

deafer to remove the cause of it, especially when the removal of 
the cause would result in no real harm to any, but in much good 
to all j and more especially, as is now the case, where the discon- 
tent already existing is very great and increasing, and can hardly 
be removed at all, by the methods heretofore employed. 

It is true the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, says: 
*^ I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be con- 
tent." And in his epistle to the Hebrews, he says: ^^Be con- 
tent with such things as ye have;" and in his first letter to the 
Corinthians, he says: ^^ Art thou called being a servant? care 
not for it: but," he adds, '' if thou may est be made free, use it 
rather. ' * In the course of human events, the people of the United 
States have become, to a great extent, politically free and equal, 
and having the power, under their National Constitution, to 
secure, by peaceful means, the enjoyment of equal social rights 
as well as of equal political rights, ought they not to use that 
power, rather than continue to suffer unnecessary disadvantages 
and losses ? 

One of the important characteristics of the *' New" — indeed, 
a very important one — would be the facility with which want and 
suffering could be relieved either at home or abroad. At home, 
the neighborhoods or sections having a surplus of products could, 
almost with the speed of the wind, supply those that lacked. 
And our country could with ease, and without the slightest fear 
of want among ourselves, supply his daily bread to every needy 
fellow-creature throughout the world. No longer would the ne- 
cessities of starving millions in foreign lands, dwarf the results 
of the labors of our missionaries who are endeavoring to persuade 
those millions to listen to the message of redeeming love. But 
as our missionaries would go forth in their labor of love com- 
pletely furnished with the bread of this life in one hand, and with 
the message of eternal life in the other, the thankful multitudes 
would receive the proffered blessings, and enjoy thereof and live; 
and, full of grateful praise, they would shout with united voice, 
'^ Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." 



XXI. 

HUMANE FORCE JUSTIFIABLE. 

IT may be said that as the employment of force under the 
^^Old" has frequently been deemed necessary to restrain 
the lawless, and compel submission, so, under the ''New,'' the 
occasional use of force for such purposes would doubtless be 
found necessary at least for a considerable time, and we may 
be asked if such a use of force would not be likely to interfere 
more or less with the exercise of that spirit of charity or love 
which should be the leading characteristic of the '' New.*' To 
this we would reply, that we believe the faults or wrongs which 
are committed under the ''Old/' are mainly, if not entirely, 
owing to its defects, and that, when the "Old" passes away, 
all faults or wrongs would speedily disappear ; that indeed the 
temptation to resort to harmful force for any purpose would sel- 
dom, if ever, be presented. Moreover, we do not believe that 
the exercise of force under any system of society is at all im- 
proper when used with purely benign or benevolent intent; 
and we believe that the temptation to do ill which might arise 
in any such case is far less to be dreaded than the temptation 
to do nothing in the fear that ill might result from action, or 
that our comfort and tranquillity might be disturbed. We be- 
lieve — indeed we are well convinced — that the only effectual way 
to overcome evil is to overcome it with good ; and while we 
can make no positive choice between indifference or apathy 
respecting a great evil on one hand, and a disposition to over- 
come such an evil by the employment of a lesser evil on the 
other, we, nevertheless, regard the latter disposition as being 
less objectionable than the former. Indeed, we believe that 
€ven our Great Father himself, although he purposes no harm 



HUMANE FORCE JUSTIFIABLE. 227 

whatever to his offspring, nevertheless, finds it necessary, all 
things being considered, to permit lesser evils to overcome 
greater ones; that he permits this to be done ^^not willingly/' 
but because, all things being considered, it cannot be avoided. 
Force or action is one of the principal indications or mani- 
festations of life. It is by force that the tiny blade pushes its 
way through the dark, tough earth to the coveted light. By force, 
the heart, the seat of animal life, compels the vital fluid — the 
blood — to circulate through the arteries and veins that life may 
be preserved. Propelled also by Divine power or force, mighty 
worlds revolve in space, in order, doubtless, that universal life 
may be enjoyed. In fact, through the medium of force or ac- 
tion, all living things may be said to possess and enjoy their ex- 
istence. In itself, force or power is, as has been said, neither 
good nor bad ; it works either good or ill according to the in- 
tent with which it is used. In the government of children, its 
mild employment is sometimes clearly necessary, and in re- 
straining adults, who, by reason of some serious misfortune, are 
not responsible for their actions, its employment is also some- 
times necessary ; and the avoidance of gentle or humane force 
in such cases is, in our judgment, at least an error ; and we can 
see no good reason why force should not be employed in any 
case where it can be used with good intent, and with a reason- 
able prospect of advantage to those to be affected by it. It is 
true that in imposing restraints upon our fellow-men, great care 
should be taken to employ an adequate force in order that the 
temptation to do injury may be avoided. He, whose bodily 
strength will permit him to lift a weight of only one hundred 
pounds, should not attempt to lift one of three hundred pounds ; 
and a lesser force should not be employed in any case in an 
attempt to arrest a greater one. With respect to the use of au- 
thority or force in the political affairs of our country, our fore- 
fathers adopted, for general purposes, the principle that a ma- 
jority, whether small or large, should rule ; but it would seem 
that they were not willing to trust the determination of very 



228 DA Y DA WNING, 

important matters to the decision of a small majority. For the 
determination of the most important matters, they required the 
assent of a very large majority. They required, for instance, 
for the ratification and establishment of our National Constitu- 
tion, the assent of two-thirds of the states. Under the Con- 
stitution, the members in each house of Congress cannot expel 
a disorderly member except by a vote of two-thirds. Every 
act of the National Legislature, disapproved by the Executive, 
must, to become a law, be re-passed by the votes of two-thirds 
of both Houses. The assent of two-thirds of the Senate is re- 
quired to impeach the President of the United States. A propo- 
sition to amend the Constitution of the United States must be 
by a two-thirds action on the part of Congress or the states, 
but the final ratification of a Constitutional amendment requires 
the assent of three-fourths of the states. 

It would seem from these precautionary measures that our 
forefathers did not deem it prudent to attempt the exercise of 
authority in very important matters with the strength or force 
which only a small majority could furnish. They doubtless felt, 
too, that the decisions of large majorities would be more likely 
to be just than the decisions of small ones. 

While we believe, therefore, that the rule laid down by our 
forefathers, requiring the assent of large majorities for the ratifi- 
cation of important matters, was and is a wise one under the 
*^01d,'* we, nevertheless, believe that under the ^'New,'' its con- 
servative or restraining power would seldom, if ever, be needed, 
for the reason that, while under the antagonisms of the ^^Old,'' 
majorities are generally small, under the harmonies of the '^ New,'* 
there would probably be nearly or quite entire unanimity. Every 
human being within our borders would be kindly and fully pro- 
vided for, and consequently no antagonisms would be provoked. 
Depredators upon our borders would soon cease to molest us, for 
the reason that we could readily and easily overcome them with 
kindness ; and, even if we could not immediately subdue them 
thus, it would be far better and cheaper for us to continue our 



HUMANE FORCE JUSTIFIABLE. 229 

kindness, and supply them with the necessaries of life, than to 
refuse these and resist them unto blood. The effect of such a 
course upon our resources would be very small, in all probability, 
hardly noticeable. If it be suggested that such leniency might 
subject us to the charge of cowardice, we reply that it really re- 
quires more true courage to overcome evil with good, than it does 
to overcome evil with evil : besides, our motive for exercising 
leniency would be well understood, and we should be honored 
for it instead of being despised. There are many ways in which 
heroism can be displayed without resorting to violence. True 
heroism does not consist in boldly depriving an enemy of life ; 
but it does consist in boldly encountering danger to save life. 
It is quite certain that foreign powers would not attempt to harm 
us, for the reason that there would be nothing whatever done, 
nor any disposition shown, on our part, to harm them. Even if 
foreign monarchical governments, fearing the effect of our influ- 
ence upon their institutions, should attempt the overthrow of 
ours, their own people, we believe, would baffle them in any 
such attempt : besides, the jealousies which usually exist between 
rulers, would prevent them from attacking us, either singly or in 
concert, even if their people were disposed to unite with them in 
such an undertaking. It is worthy of note that, even during our 
late domestic strife, no foreign government, as such, took sides 
either for or against our country's flag. It is true that, if a con- 
siderable number of our people were to regard resistance to our 
country's enemies by the sword in certain cases, as an evil less to 
be dreaded than submission, they could, of course, employ the 
sword ; and its use in such cases of defence would doubtless be 
effective. A people fighting against downright oppression are apt 
to fight with great effect. We believe, however, that the temp- 
tation to use force or power for hostile purposes, would seldom, 
if ever, be presented. Indeed, the *^ light of our blessed example 
would shine so brightly that all nations and governments would 
see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven." 
Even the kings of the earth would, we believe, soon bow in ador- 



230 DA Y DA WNING. 

ing submission at the footstool of the Prince of Peace. Says the 
Psalmist: ** The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring 
presents ; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all 
kings shall fall down before him ; all nations shall serve him. 
For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth ; the poor also^ 
and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, 
and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their 
soul from deceit and violence : and precious shall their blood be 
in his sight. His name shall endure forever : his name shall be 
continued as long as the sun ; and men shall be blessed in him : 
all nations shall call him blessed. He shall have dominion also 
from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. 
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who doeth won- 
drous things. And blessed be his glorious name forever : and 
let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen^ and amen.'' 

We may be told, however, that when Jesus, our Great Divine 
Exemplar, was upon the earth, he did not employ even friendly 
force in his own defence, or for the restraint of human faults, or 
for the regulation of human conduct. Says the prophet Isaiah : 
*'He was oppressed, and he was afflicted ; yet he opened not his 
mouth : he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep 
before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.'* 
And we may be asked, in view of the meek and submissive 
spirit which characterized our Divine Leader, how we can, as 
his consistent followers, even with friendly intent, employ force 
in attempting to restrain our fellow-men from doing harm. 

We reply : that, up to the time of his death, Jesus was the 
only one on earth who was perfectly faultless ; the only one on 
earth who could use force without the temptation to employ it 
injuriously. It is true he was popular with the multitude, for 
it is written that *^the common people heard him gladly;" and 
we believe they would have rallied to his support, and defended 
him from assault if he had called upon them so to do ; but, in 
their unconverted state, they would, doubtless, have used vindic- 
tive force or violence in his behalf; and, as dependence upon 



HUMANE FORCE JUSTIFIABLE, 231 

such support was entirely contrary to the purpose for which he 
came into the world, there was, of course, no other way in 
which he could avoid the employment of harmful force in his 
own behalf but meek submission to such suffering as his perse- 
cutors might choose to inflict. While he was in the world, he 
was the only perfect fruit of the Spirit : ^' the only begotten 
Son of God : ' * the only lamb of the great human flock that was 
perfectly '^blameless and harmless ;'* and, therefore, he could 
not, without the interposition of a miracle, have been saved 
through the medium of friendly force from the untimely and 
painful death which awaited him. The interposition of a mira- 
cle to rescue him from death would, we believe, have been 
contrary to the Divine Economy, and especially so to that part 
of it comprised in the plan of redemption. It was his own 
meek submission to death at the hands of his enemies which 
taught his disciples that they too were to be willing to lay down 
their lives rather than not enjoy the love of overcoming evil 
with good. And it is through the influence and power of his 
perfect example, especially as set forth in his death, that many 
have since been born of the Spirit and are the sons of God as he. 
himself was the son of God ; and we believe the numbers of 
such are increasing, and will continue to increase until ^' the 
meek shall inherit the earth.** Then shall the employment of 
friendly force or power be as proper and beneficient as the em- 
ployment of unfriendly force has hitherto been injurious and 
frequent. 

That the apostles of Jesus were not converted previous to his 
death, and were, therefore, not prepared to attempt his rescue from 
the hands of his enemies without resorting to the employment of 
unfriendly force, is evident from what they did at or about the 
time he was betrayed. He had directed his apostles to pur- 
chase a sword or swords, and, when they said, '^ Lord, behold, 
here are two swords," he said unto them, ^' It is enough." The 
sword is the emblem of authority and power, and the manner in 
which the sword was used by a leader among the apostles, at 



232 DA Y DA WNING. 

that time, or on that occasion, proves that they were not pre- 
pared to employ force or power against their enemies in a be- 
nign or friendly manner j for it is written that '^ Simon Peter 
having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant :'' 
and that he did so with harmful intent, and not merely to in- 
timidate the man, is evident, for it is written that ^^he smote 
the servant, and cut off his right ear.** Certainly the Prince of 
Peace did not direct them to purchase a sword or swords that 
they might use violence in his behalf. This direction was 
given, we believe, in order that the fact might be proved beyond 
a doubt, that, even at that late hour of their discipleship, his own 
chosen apostles did not fully comprehend the true nature or 
character of his misson. To demonstrate this fact, even one 
sword proved to be '* enough,'* and it gave his meek submis- 
sion to death at the hands of his enemies, the fullest justifica- 
tion, and, as a testimony and an example, a priceless value. 



XXII. 
THE SOCIAL PALACE. 



EVEN if we were competent to set forth in all their details, 
the proper methods which should be adopted, in the con- 
struction of the Social System of the '^New/* to secure the 
greatest amount of rational happiness to man, we do not deem 
it necessary for the present to give more than a general outline 
of our views on this subject. Doubtless much — very much — 
that is valuable in this regard, must be ascertained by trial or 
experiment. When the details of the ^^ New ** are perfected, it 
will be found, we believe, that the great city, with its capacity 
to accommodate hundreds of thousands of persons, on one 



THE SOCIAL PALACE. 233 

hand \ and the country farm-house, capable of accommodating 
but a single family, on the other, will both be abandoned ; and 
in their stead, Social Palaces, stationed at convenient distances 
from each other — each Palace capable of accommodating a few 
hundreds, and in some instances, perhaps, a few thousands of 
persons — will be constructed, the size of the Palace, and the 
number of persons to occupy it, to be determined by its loca- 
tion, and the kind of industry to be carried on in its vicinity. 

That the great city is a necessity under the ^^ Old," is evident. 
Within it, commerce, manufactures, and trade flourish. Within 
it, the agriculturist finds a market for his products, and supplies 
himself with such articles of comfort or luxury as he cannot suc- 
cessfully and conveniently produce at home, and without which 
his enjoyment of life would be much restricted. Nevertheless, 
the great city is almost universally regarded as, in many respects, 
a great evil. Pure air and pure water — so necessary to the estab- 
lishment and preservation of good health — are seldom enjoyed 
within its limits; much of its impure and refuse matter is disposed 
of through the medium of sewers, whose contents flow into and 
defile the adjacent water-courses: and excess in the great city 
abounds in all its forms. Notwithstanding the displays of ele- 
gance and splendor which usually characterize it, it is a lamenta- 
ble fact that the tendency of the great city is to deteriorate and 
degrade a large portion of its population, both morally and physi- 
cally. It is in the great city that the fruit of the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil is most enjoyed, and where the ten- 
dency is greatest to effeminacy, excess, and death. Concerning 
the great city Babylon, Isaiah, in his prophecy, says: ^^ And Bab- 
ylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees* excel- 
lency, shall be overthrown : God overthrew Sodom and Gomor- 
rah, and it also shall be overthrown. It shall never be inhabited, 
neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation : neither 
shall the Arabian pitch tent there ; neither shall the shepherds 
make their fold there : but wild beasts of the desert shall lie 



234 DA V DA WNING, 

there : and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures : and 
owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there/* 

*' And I saw/' says John, the Revelator, *- And I saw another 
angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the 
earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a 
strong voice, saying, Babylon, the great, is fallen, is fallen, and is 
become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, 
and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. ^ * 'J* And I heard 
another voice from heaven, saying. Come out of her, my people, 
that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her 
plagues. * '^ * And the merchants of the earth shall weep and 
mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more ; 
the merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stones^ and of 
pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all 
thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner 
vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 
and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and 
wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, 
and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the 
fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all 
things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, 
and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these 
things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear 
of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas ! 
that great city that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and 
scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls ! 
for in one hour so great riches is come to nought. * * * And 
the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpet- 
ers, shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and no craftsman, of 
whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee ; and the 
sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee. And 
the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee : and the 
voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more 
at all in thee : for thy merchants were the great men of the earth 3 



THE SOCIAL PALACE. 235 

for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was 
found the blood of prophets, and of saints and of all that were 
slain upon the earth. ' ' 

Without dilating further upon its evils, we would say, it is in 
language similar to what we have just quoted, that the great 
city and its merchants are generally described throughout the 
Scriptures. 

But there is a city which shall endure forever — " a city which 
hath foundations, the New Jerusalem, that cannot be shaken, 
whose builder and maker is God. ' * The great city of the mer- 
chant has much therein to challenge our admiration ; science, art, 
literature, flourish there ; but its brilliancy pales before the glories 
of the New Jerusalem, '^ for the glory of God doth lighten her, 
and the Lamb is the light thereof.'' She too, like great Baby- 
lon, is full of untold wealth and beauty ; ^^ the foundations of her 
wall are garnished with all manner of precious stones, her gates 
are pearls, and her street, pure gold, as it were transparent glass:'* 
but, unlike great Babylon, there is ^* nothing in her that defileth, 
neither anything that worketh abomination, or maketh a lie.*' 
Says the Revelator, ^^And the city lieth four-square, and the 
length is as large as the breadth ^ * * * the length, and the 
breadth, and the height of it are equal. ' ' In the New Jerusalem, 
there will be no inequality of rights, political or social, public or 
private ; no worldly antagonisms, no animosities. The recti- 
lineal or cubical form, which the holy city is described as having, 
is a beautiful type of the squareness or rectitude of spirit and con- 
duct, which will characterize the heart and life of the people under 
the ^^New." All that is done between man and man, in the 
New Jerusalem, will, to use a homely phrase, be ^^fair and 
squared 

The plan of organizing society into groups or clusters, the 
groups, severally, numbering according to circumstances, from 
a few hundreds to a few thousands of persons, would certainly be 
a great improvement on the plans at present generally adopted. 
On this plan, the impurities so common to the great city could 



236 r^A Y DA WNING, 

easily be avoided, while all the advantages to be gained from 
extensive social intercourse, could still be enjoyed. Thus organ- 
ized, like the bees, into convenient groups or clusters, the mem- 
bers of each group or phalanx could most effectively assist each 
other, and realize to the fullest extent, the advantages to be 
derived from united effort ; and the groups themselves could, 
and doubtless would, assist each other, and with the happiest 
effect upon the general welfare. Impure and refuse matter, so 
difficult to control or properly dispose of, in the great city, 
could be easily utilized by each group, and the water-courses be 
preserved from defilement. As competition for purposes of sel- 
fish gain would no longer exist, there would, of course, be no 
temptation to adopt the methods, in the various industries, which 
are employed under the *' Old " to cheapen the cost of produc- 
tion. Hence steam-power only, or perhaps some other motor 
still more powerful than steam, could be employed to propel ma- 
chinery ; and water-power, through whose agency many rivers and 
streams are rendered impure, could be abandoned. Canals, and 
other sluggish water-courses, those breeders of malaria and disease, 
could be opened, and their waters freed from restraint, and 
thus rendered innoxious. As there is an abundance of material 
for bricks, an abundance of stone in the quarries, and immense 
quantities of iron ore and coal in the mines, there would be but 
little necessity for wood in the construction of buildings, or for 
fuel; besides, buildings constructed of brick, stone, or iron, 
would be fire-proof, and therefore much safer than those of wood, 
and far more durable. The planting of trees, and economy in the 
use of wood, would tend to the preservation and increase of the for- 
ests, those great promoters of a steady supply of water to rivers 
and streams. With the water-courses clarified and improved, fish 
culture, a very entertaining and important department of human 
interest, could be carried on under the most favorable circum- 
stances, and a large amount of valuable food thereby obtained ; 
and the poetry and romance associated with forest, mountain, 
glen, and pure and never- failing streams, could be fully enjoyed. 



THE SOCIAL PALACE. 237 

Without enlarging upon the subject, we would name a few 
more of the advantages which the group or phalanx would have 
over the present social system or systems. For culinary pur- 
poses^ for instance, one apartment in the palace would serve for 
hundreds of people ; whereas, now, for a large number of people, 
scores or hundreds of places are usually occupied for such pur- 
poses; thus many persons, especially women, would be relieved 
from much annoyance and toil in this important department of 
house affairs. 

A great hall in the palace could be set apart for purposes of 
general improvement and social enjoyment. As no violation of 
decency or morality would be permitted in any exhibition, lec- 
ture or debate, this hall could, with propriety, be used for va- 
rious purposes. At one time, it could be occupied by a gather- 
ing of worshippers ; at another, it could be used as a lyceum ; at 
another, as a school room ; at another, for purposes of amusement, 
etc. Instead of requiring, as now, hundreds of stoves or fur- 
naces to heat as many houses, the entire palace could be heated 
by steam conveyed through pipes or other convenient apparatus; 
and for safety and convenience, the steam could be generated at 
a point away from the building but in its immediate vicinity. 
Steam could be used also, as we have already stated, for power, 
and the extent to which it would, undoubtedly, be so employed, 
would quite relieve humanity from the hardships of the so- 
called primal curse. 

As we have no titled nobility here with their dependants and 
retainers, palatial buildings in our country have consisted chiefly 
of colleges and great hotels ; and of asylums for the insane, and 
places of refuge for other unfortunates; and some of these 
buildings are beautifully located and well appointed. Palaces 
for the insane are erected with the object, in part, of endeavor- 
ing to cure these saddest or most wretched of all unfortunates. 
The erection and occupancy of social palaces according to the 
plan we propose, would, we believe, prevent the existence of 
mental derangement, and of every other serious malady ; and 



238 DAY DAWNING, 

as it is said, and we believe with truth, that *^an ounce oi pre- 
vention is better than a pound of cure,^^ the superiority of the 
'*New" to the *^01d," in this particular also, would doubtless 
be fully proved. In the social palace, all ^^ devils,'' or evil influ- 
ences, would be ^^cast out,'* and men instead of being violent 
and destructive, as some are now, would be ^^ found sitting at the 
feet of the Redeemer, clothed, and in their right mind." 

Opportunities for the cultivation and enjoyment of the beau- 
tiful in nature and in art, would be almost limitless. The pal- 
ace, internally and externally, and its surroundings, moun- 
tain, glen, forest, field, and running brook, ^ould, doubtless, all 
have their hidden beauties brought to light by the magic power 
of genius; and, filled with admiration and delight, in imagina- 
tion, man would soar to heavenly heights, and, enjoying nature, 
worship nature's God. 

We have been told that the grouping of hundreds of persons 
together into one building, in the manner and under the system 
recommended, would put the family relation — that great safe- 
guard of society — in jeopardy ; that a community of worldly in- 
terests would naturally lead to a community of husbands and wives. 
In support of this position, it is alleged that there are certain 
communistic bodies in which the marriage relation is indiffer- 
ently regarded, and it is inferred that indifference in this respect 
would characterize communistic bodies under all circumstances. 

To this, we reply, that, while there may be an unlawful or 
improper freedom between the sexes in some of those bodies, 
in others, the sexes are under a religious obligation to live 
separate and apart from each other. There is therefore no 
force in the suggestion that community of property would 
necessarily lead to a community of husbands and wives. Some 
communistic and semi-communistic bodies may, we think, be 
compared to precocious specimens of fruit, which, owing to some 
internal defect, ripens before the proper time. It may be that 
in some instances communism has thus been developed prema- 
turely, that certain persons, entertaining peculiar religious views, 



THE SOCIAL PALACE. 239 

but unwilling to submit to the restraints which society usually 
imposes, and knowing that in union there is, even in an unwor- 
thy cause, more or less of strength, have combined their interests 
in order that they may thereby secure a better prospect of success 
for the carrying out of their objectionable purposes; that other 
persons, not distinguishing between the temperate enjoyment of 
the senses, which we believe to be proper, and the sensual or in- 
temperate enjoyment of them, which is manifestly injurious and 
improper, have united their interests apparently with one object 
principally in view, viz. : to separate themselves from the world 
and its vanities, and to avoid even its rational enjoyments. In 
fact, men have generally found associated effort for the further- 
ance of any cause, either good or bad, far more effective than 
individual effort. 

It is undoubtedly true that under the *^ Old," the separate 
family has been, and is, the safeguard of society; but why? 
because the members of a family have usually been joined to- 
gether by a unity or community of interests ; and it was, and is, 
mainly to protect this, that different families have joined, or been 
joined, together under various forms of civil government, and 
have thus constituted what is called the state. Nevertheless, the 
private interests of different families have, for the most part, been 
separate and distinct from each other ; and as long as one family 
did not seriously encroach upon the rights or con>fort of another, 
this state of things was generally borne without complaint ; but 
now that the population of the world is augmenting rapidly, and 
competition in worldly matters is becoming more and more 
severe, the family relation itself is in great danger of being injuri- 
ously affected, if not indeed of being overthrown. Marriage 
even now is, to a great extent, avoided, and where the matri- 
monial relation is assumed, innumerable evils frequently follow 
in its train. The numerous household, once the joy of the home, 
and the glory of the state, is apt to be regarded now as a misfor- 
tune rather than a blessing ; and even the bond of domestic affec- 
tion is frequently weakened by the strain of discordant interests. 



240 DA V DA WNING. 

We do not, it is true, believe that the introduction of the 
**New*' would immediately remedy all the evils or defects of 
society: we have no doubt there would, for a time, be more or 
less of departures from strict propriety even under the ^^New;*' 
but we believe they would be few in comparison with what they 
are and have been under the '^Old.** 

We have said that the members of a family have usually been 
joined together by a unity or community of interests. If this be 
true of the members of a single family under the ^^ Old,*' whose 
interests under it are generally not entirely identical, it would 
certainly be true of the members of a group or phalanx under 
the ^^New/' whose interests would be completely identical. 
We would do nothing which would tend to jeopardize or disparage 
the family relation, far from it. We believe it right to cherish 
the relationship of husband and wife, of parent and child, of 
brother and sister ; and we believe those natural relationships, 
though sometimes disregarded, are seldom, if ever, entirely for- 
gotten. ^^Men ought,*' says Paul, ^^to love their wives as their 
own bodies ; he that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man 
ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it." 
Nevertheless when affection for those related to us by family ties, 
makes us willing that they shall enjoy life to the manifest detri- 
ment of our fellow-beings who are not so related to us, such af- 
fection, measured by the divine standard, is unholy. ^' He that 
loveth father or mother more than me," says Jesus, *^is not 
worthy of me : and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, 
is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and fol- 
loweth after me, is not worthy of me." It is as though he said, 
'' He that loveth the happiness of his own family exclusively ; and 
is willing that the members thereof shall be indulged to the loss or 
disadvantage of his other fellow-beings, is not worthy of me : and 
he that would not willingly suffer death itself rather than willingly 
injure any fellow-being, is not worthy of me." Again, he says, 
^^ Whosoever will save his life" (i. e., selfishly save his life) 
^' shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake," 



THE SOCIAL PALACE, 241 

(i. e., whosoever will willingly lose his life, rather than willingly 
injure any fellow-being) *^ shall find it. For what is a man pro- 
fited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what 
shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? " 

It appears by the Scripture record, (Matthew XIII. 155) that 
Jesus had four brothers and two or more sisters : the household 
of which he was a member, was therefore not a small one : and 
yet, as far as we can judge from the record concerning them, there 
was but little intercourse or correspondence between him and the 
other members of it. In the early part of his ministry, at least, 
^'his friends '' (or kinsmen) did not approve of his course as a 
public teacher, for it is written (Mark III.:2i) that ^^they went 
out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.'* 
And (John VII. 15) it is written, ^^ neither did his brethren believe 
in him." On one occasion, while he was talking to the people, 
he was told that his mother and his brethren (or brothers) stood 
without desiring to speak with him. ^^ But he answered and said 
unto him that told him. Who is my mother? and who are my 
brethren ? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, 
and said, Behold my mother, and my brethren ! For whosoever 
shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is 
my brother, and sister, and mother." It is evident that Jesus 
regarded universal philanthropy as pre-eminently better than the 
affection which has no wider range than that which extends only 
to near relatives or particular friends. Philanthropy is a diffusive 
principle, and comprehensive in its scope^ and therefore likely to 
be disinterested; while the affection of individuals for each other 
is sometimes influenced more or less by selfish considerations. 
Under the ^^New," however, we believe all selfish considerations 
would rapidly disappear; and that the command, ^^Thou shalt 
not covet," would, in all its meanings, be conscientiously ob- 
served. We believe that, as a rule, the family relation can be hon- 
ored and preserved in all its purity only under the ^^New;" and 
that it will be more and more avoided and dishonored as long as 
the ^^Old" endures. 

L 



242 DA Y DA WNING. 

As the affairs of the family under the *' Old/* have usually 
been regulated and controlled by the husband and wife, assisted 
by other members of the household, so the family of families — 
the Phalanx or Group — under the ^^New," would doubtless have 
its chosen men and women to guide and direct its affairs. These 
would doubtless consist of a board of directors or managers, in- 
cluding within it, a head-man or president, vice-president, secre- 
tary, etc., all elected by a majority of the adults of the group, 
each and all of the members of the board being subject at any 
time to removal from office at the will of the majority of the group. 

Such an organization of society would, we believe, not only 
conserve the family relation, but each group would possess far 
greater advantages, and capabilities for enjoyment than ever 
was or ever could be possessed by the different households under 
the *' Old," and as the group would be, in its general organiza- 
tion, a type or epitome of the state, there would be uniformity 
and harmony in all things throughout the land. The proper 
methods to be employed to secure the rational enjoyment of 
life, would thus be reduced to a science, and the operations of 
society would exhibit as much harmony and efficiency of action 
as are displayed in the movements of the many well constructed 
mechanical contrivances which even erring man himself has al- 
ready ingeniously devised. 

As under the ^^Old," for the convenience of local govern- 
ment, states are divided into counties, and the record books of 
the county have generally been authorized or acknowledged by 
law as the proper medium for the recording and establishing of 
the legal right of individuals and corporations to real estate, and 
for other purposes (the county being, in reality, the state in 
miniature) so under the ^^New,'* we would recommend that 
the property contained within the limits of a county or parish 
be under the management and control of the citizens residing 
within it, subject always, of course, to the requirements of the 
general welfare; that upon the introduction of the ^^New," 
the then inhabitants of the respective counties or parishes be 



THE SOCIAL PALACE, 243 

acknowledged and regarded as still the proper residents thereof; 
and that all changes of residence of any individual or indi- 
viduals, from one part of a county or parish to another part of 
the same, or from one county, parish, or state, to another county, 
parish, or state, be, as the case may require, with the consent, 
or under the supervision, of Federal, State, or County commis- 
sioners elected by the people and duly authorized by law to super- 
intend such changes. 

Upon the introduction of the '^ New," and until the organiza- 
tion of society under the system of the Social Palace be complete, 
let the people, under the supervision of duly authorized commit- 
tees, organize themselves into companies; and let each and every 
member of a company, of suitable age and condition, be required 
to perform certain prescribed duties for the common good. Let 
depots for the deposit and distribution of supplies be established 
at convenient points, and great care be taken that none of the 
people be in any wise neglected. To the end, that no individual 
be neglected, let the names of the residents of the respective 
counties be recorded in their respective county books. Let every 
man, woman, and child, be fully accounted for, and be made 
fully accountable. Let no one be avoided or overlooked. No 
matter how broken or worthless some of our fellow-beings may ap- 
pear to be, *' let all the ' fragments ' (of humanity) be gathered up 
that nothing be lost. * ' Let us all remember that * ^ the Son of Man 
came to seek and to save that which was lost;" that ^Mie came 
not to destroy men's lives, but to save them :" and let there be 
great rejoicing that *^ they, who once were dead, are alive again ;" 
that ^' they who were lost, are found." Let the different depart- 
ments of human interest, to wit : Agriculture, the Mechanic 
Arts, Manufactures, Residence, Supply and Distribution, Educa- 
tion, Morals, Amusements, etc., be under the superintendence 
of duly authorized and efficient managers or committees: and 
let those persons who had been prominent, influential, and cor- 
rect, under the '' Old," be preferred as the leaders of men, upon 
the introduction of the ^^New:" for, doubtless, they who have 



244 DA V DA WNING. 

had sufficient energy, prudence, and foresight, to provide for 
themselves efficiently under the former, would, as a rule, be best 
fitted for the superintendency of affairs under the latter. We 
would recommend that but few sudden changes be made in the 
matter of Residence; that, upon the advent of the '^New,** the 
erection of Social Palaces be at once commenced; and that the 
old tenements be abandoned, and the palaces occupied, as, from 
time to time, the latter would be made ready for occupancy; 
that, as far as practicable, the materials which compose the old 
tenements, be used in the construction of the new edifices; that, 
in fact, in all things, the ''Old" be made to subserve the in- 
terests of the ''New.'* 

To the suggestion that there are but few men who, by nature, 
are able to influence or control the actions of others; and that these 
under any system of society, will always take more or less advan- 
tage of their fellow-men, (for the many are generally docile and 
governable) we reply: That, under the " New," abuse of power 
would be almost impossible. Abuse of power is frequently, if 
not almost invariably, associated with the individual or private 
possession of wealth, or with the facility for obtaining personal 
control of it, but as the " New," in its very nature, would make 
abuse of power, by such means, an impossibility, it is evident 
that even the most active, influential, and aspiring men, could 
make only a righteous use of their abilities ; and this, we believe, 
they would cheerfully do. The leaders of men, rejoicing in the 
possession of superior talents, full of energy, but no longer pos- 
sessing Irresponsible Power, unable to advance the interests of 
self alone, powerless for harm, would resort to the only oppor- 
tunity left them, for the play of their ambition, viz.: the welfare 
of their fellow- men: and they who, by force of circumstances, 
had been the oppressors of some, would become, and, doubtless, 
willingly so, the servants of all. 



XXIII. 
PRESENT NECESSITIES AND DUTIES. 

BUT we maybe told that the end of the ''Old '* is not yet; 
and we may be asked what should be done to relieve the 
poor, the destitute, and the neglected, until the advent of the 
**New." To this, we reply, that, in addition to the relief fur- 
nished by individuals, associations and institutions, the National 
Legislature, and the State Legislatures, should do all in their 
power to C7'eate employment. The former, in particular, should 
so legislate as to promote activity in all the industries of the 
nation, uninfluenced by any theories as to who will be made 
richer or poorer by its action. The truth is, that, under the pres- 
ent order of things, no satisfactory legislation can be devised 
which will prevent the few who are very rich, from becoming 
richer, or that will prevent the many from remaining hopelessly 
poor. In the name of humanity then, let the government be, 
as far as possible, paternal, and promote in every practicable way 
the creation of employment for the benefit of its needy children, 
for, even when employed, the many are generally compelled to 
observe the strictest economy ; without employment, they must 
beg or starve. Let it be borne in mind that Labor cannot now, 
as a rule, operate effectively, except as it is employed by Capi- 
tal ; and that Capital will not, as a rule, move actively, except as 
it is encouraged to do so by favoring legislation or unusual cir- 
cumstances, for the reason that, on account of the use of labor-sav- 
ing machinery, in particular, there is almost constantly an excess 
of products on the market, the handling of which, yields Capital 
but little profit, and sometimes subjects it to considerable loss. 
Let legislation, therefore, as far as practicable, promote activity 
in all our industries. Let it, for instance, give adequate pro- 
tection to our home manufactures by placing a discriminating 
tariff on foreign importations, thereby enabling our manufac- 



246 DA y DA WNING. 

turers to employ as many hands as possible. .Let free banking be 
encouraged : always, of course, requiring banks of issue to de- 
posit National obligations with the Government to an extent 
sufficient to redeem their circulating notes. Let the circulating 
notes of the Government be made a legal tender at their face 
value, for duties on imports and interest on the Public Debt, as 
well as for all other debts, public and private, except where other- 
wise expressly stipulated in the contract ; and let these circulat- 
ing notes, and those of the National Banks, be made redeemable 
in either gold or silver coin, or Government bonds, at the option 
of the Government and of the Banks, the bonds so used to be 
taken at the current market price of the same, by the parties de- 
manding redemption of the circulating notes; and let the amount 
or volume of the Government circulation be increased to an ex- 
tent sufficient to augment somewhat the market value of products, 
in order that dormant capital, which is always alert for profit, 
maybe tempted from its places of seclusion, and, swelling the 
volume of the circulation, may thus aid in sustaining what is 
called a rising market, thereby promoting activity not only in the 
manufacturing, but also in the mining, agricultural, and general 
interests of the country. For it is well known that the volume 
of the circulation will, as a rule, affect the prices of all commodi- 
ties, more or less. If the volume of the circulation be large, prices 
of commodities will generally be high ; if it be small, prices 
will generally be low. It is usually, if not invariably, the case, 
that, when products are high in price. Labor is actively em- 
ployed, and able to buy them at the advanced figures; and, 
that, when they are low in price. Labor is to a large extent out 
of employment, and therefore unable to buy them even at the 
reduced figures. The reason for this is evident. When Capital, 
which is now the mainspring of Labor, finds itself operating in 
a rising market, it freely enlists Labor in its service ; but, in a 
falling market. Capital retires, and becomes dormant, and Labor 
is sent adrift. Let legislation be directed also to the promotion 
of our shipping and railroad interests; to the completion and 



PRESENT NECESSITIES AND DUTIES. 247 

extension of public improvements ; and to the adoption of such 
measures as will enable and encourage the needy to settle on the 
public lands. About the one-half of our population are not 
tillers of the soil, and many of these could not, except under 
circumstances of much hardship, occupy the public lands to ad- 
vantage, if at all, without assistance. There are three obstacles, 
in particular, which would interfere greatly with the unaided 
efforts of many in this direction. First, poor men, especially 
those with families, could not get to the lands. Second, if they 
could get to the lands, they would not have the wherewith to 
till them; and third, if they had the wherewith to till them, many 
are unacquainted with agricultural labor. We admit, however, 
that the latter obstacle could be overcome without much diffi- 
culty, if the other hindrances were removed. 

It may be objected that the measures which we have proposed 
for the creation of employment, would, if adopted, open the 
flood-gates of speculation and extravagance, as the use of such 
measures always does ; and that, upon the abatement of the 
flood, the business of the country would be again depressed. 
We freely admit that such would be the probable effect, and 
therefore recommend the employment of such measures, only as 
a choice of evils. The fact is, that under the ^* Old," (i. e. the 
present order of things) many will ever suffer from one of two 
evils, viz.: their non- employment on one hand, or what may be 
termed their improvidence on the other; and we may deplore the 
hardships incident to the former, and declaim, with all our 
might and main, against the folly of the latter, and still this 
condition of things will remain unchanged as long as the **01d '* 
endures. The truth is, that what we call improvidence on the 
part of many, is simply evidence that they desire to obtain the 
amount of rational happiness which the Creator intended they 
should enjoy, and of which, under our present defective social 
system, they are, to a great extent, deprived. In our choice of 
evils we cannot consent to select those which would enforce the 
non-employment of the poor, and thus cause them to suffer, 



248 DAY DAWNING, 

and are therefore obliged to recommend measures which, though 
apparently objectionable, would create employment for them, 
especially in view of the fact that labor-saving machinery is 
rapidly supplanting manual labor. Although, in theory, we 
favor a coin basis for the redemption of circulating notes, we, 
nevertheless, believe the time has come when legislation, under 
the present order of things, should promote, as far as possible, 
the creation of employment, and that all other legislation should 
be subordinated to this great and growing necessity, even if it 
be found necessary to modify or abandon long-cherished theories 
concerning public improvements or finance. The many are far 
more interested in the adoption of measures which would pro- 
mote the creation of employment, than they are in governmen- 
tal economy, or the resumption of specie payments, for re- 
sumption would probably not be long maintained, and if it 
were, would not be likely to promote the creation of employ- 
ment, and close economy on the part of Government would cer- 
tainly be of no advantage to the unemployed. 

The present order of things may be compared to an old gar- 
ment, which, though of good material, has, on account of its de- 
fective construction, become, from long continued use, the 
worse for wear, and is beyond renovation. All that we can do 
with it is to try to keep it from being rent, as its multiplying 
weaknesses are from time to time exposed, and make it serve us, 
as best we can, until, from choice or necessity, we lay it aside 
and attire ourselves in the indestructible habiliments of the 
'^New." Sooner or later, the old habit must be laid aside, for 
even the addition of new material, will not prevent an old and 
imperfect garment from going to decay. *^No man,*' said 
Jesus, '^putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old ; if other- 
wise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was 
taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man 
putteth new wine into old bottles, else the new wine will burst 
the bottles and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But, 
new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved/' 



PRESENT NECESSITIES AND DUTIES. 249 

We have, as a people, unthinkingly, put the ^^wine" of a new 
republican political system, into the '* bottles'' of an old mo- 
narchical %oq\^X system; and the activity and vitality of the for- 
mer, is beginning to make conspicuous the weaknesses and de- 
fects of the latter. We may save the *^wine'' if we will, but 
let us not forget that new wine is safe only in new bottles. We 
must put the *^wine,'' i. e., our republican political system, into 
the ^'bottles'' of a republican social system, and both will be pre- 
served. It is true, that in pouring the ^^wine'* from the ^^old 
bottles'* into the ^^new," care should be taken that, whilst it be 
done promptly, it be done deliberately, and without precipitation 
or intemperate haste, lest a portion be damaged or lost. 

It will, doubtless, be said that, if the measures we propose for 
the creation of employment be carried out, labor would soon be 
in active demand ; and that the people would be so far satisfied 
with their apparently improved condition, they would care but 
little about the introduction of the *'New." We answer that, 
if that should prove to be the case, the advocates for the early 
advent of the ''New " would simply have to wait until the im- 
proving moral sense of the people, and another financial crisis, 
should bring the subject of the importance and value of the 
** New " again to their consideration. It is certain that no legis- 
lation, which enforces a coin reserve as a basis for the redemp- 
tion of circulating notes, can be devised that will secure a uniform 
and steady profit to Capital, and constant employment to Labor. 
It is also certain, that, as in the past, financial crises, at short 
intervals, have come, whether the business of the country had 
been conducted on a specie basis or not, so, in the future, they 
will come, as long as the '' Old " endures, no matter what the 
basis for redemption may be ; and as financial crises are prolific 
of fluctuations in the prices of many things, and as such fluctua- 
tions give the greater capitalists extensive opportunities to profit 
largely, it is evident that the few that are very wealthy can easily 
augment their gains to the detriment of the smaller capitalists ; 
that the many will continue to be impoverished and dependent, 



250 DAY DAWNING, 

and that, to prevent serious damage, if not destruction, to society 
and the state, the adoption of the ^*New" will, in time, become 
an absolute necessity. 



XXIV. 
THE NEW JERUSALEM. 



WE may be told by some that what we hope for and expect 
concerning the *' New ^' will doubtless be realized when 
Christ Jesus appears again in person upon the earth; but that we 
may expect no very great improvement in the conduction of af- 
fairs in this world until then. But why is it necessary that Jesus 
should appear to us in person at this particular time? What 
benefit could he now confer upon men by his personal presence 
here, which he could not have conferred upon mankind in all the 
centuries of the Christian era ? If his personal presence upon 
the earth is needed by humanity now, it was certainly still more 
needed here five hundred or a thousand years ago. All that he 
could say and do in person for man upon the earth, he has already 
said and done. 

^^ What more can he say, than to you he hath said, — 
*' To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled ? '* 
It has been suggested that it would be delightful and comfort- 
ing to see our blessed Redeemer upon the earth ; to hear his 
gracious words, and to be guided by his direct counsel in all 
things. But, even if direct communication between him and the 
multitudes upon the earth were never so delightful or desirable, 
it could not be accomplished with any degree of satisfaction 
either to him or to them. If he could have social intercourse 
with even a hundred thousand human beings per day, it would 
require the space of nearly forty years before he would be able to 



THE NE W JER USALEM. 251 

communicate with all that are now upon the earth; and even 
if he could communicate in person with all the inhabitants 
of the earth, he would not be received as the Christ by many 
without an exhibition on his part of miraculous power sufficient 
to compel their acknowledgment of his Messiahship ; and every 
such exhibition of miraculous power would tend to divert their 
attention from Christ within, the true hope of glory, to the Christ 
without. Instead of cultivating inward grace, they would be in 
constant expectation of outward advantage or display. It would 
be said, '^ Lo, here is Christ in this country or city ; '' or, ^^Lo, 
he is there, in that country or city; " or, '' Lo, he is now in 
Jerusalem, and sitting upon the throne of his father David/' 
All things being considered, it was not only necessary, but emi- 
nently desirable, that, after the personal departure of our Elder 
Brother from the earth, his true followers should, in all the ages 
following, be commissioned by the Holy Spirit to speak and act 
in his stead, setting forth by word and deed the story of his love. 
When the Son of man came upon the earth, his coming was 
without observation. True, it is recorded that his ^^star*' 
engaged the attention of the wise men of the East, who, follow- 
ing it, found the infant Jesus, and worshipped him ; that on the 
plains of Bethlehem ^^a multitude of the heavenly hosts were 
heard praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace, good will toward men ; " that ^^ at the age 
of twelve years, Jesus was found in the temple, sitting in the 
midst of the doctors of the law, both hearing them, and asking 
them questions'*; that ^' he increased in wisdom and stature, 
and in favor with God and man '' ; and that at about the age of 
thirty years, he commenced his ministry, speaking words of grace 
and truth, as never man had spoken them before. Nevertheless, 
in all his deportment, there was no display ; he did nothing to 
influence the people by outward show, or by an assumption of 
worldly power ; nor were his acts, in any respect, like those which 
pertain to earthly royalty. So unobtrusive were his acts, and so 
obscure was his earthly origin, that, when he commenced to 



252 DAY DAWNING, 

teach the people the words of life, he was heard by some, if not 
by many, with expressions on their part of evident disfavor. 
*' Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?*' 
said they, *^ Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother 
called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and 
Judas? and his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath 
this man all these things? and they were offended in him.'' 

As the advent of Christ, some eighteen hundred years ago or 
more, was without observation or display, so, we believe, his second 
coming will be. It is wTitten (Luke XVII) that, ^' when he was de- 
manded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, 
he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with 
observation (or outward shew) : neither shall they say, Lo here ! 
or, Lo there ! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 
* * * And they shall say to you, See here ; or. See there : go not 
after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighten- 
eth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part 
under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day." 

'^ But will not the promise that ^ the Lord God shall give unto 
his Son the throne of his father David,' be fulfilled ? and was not 
David's throne established in Jerusalem? and shall Christ not 
reign there ? " 

We answer, that Christ shall indeed occupy and enjoy his 
throne in the New Jerusalem ; but his throne is the heart of every 
true believer. '' David w^as a man after God's own heart : *' he 
reigned in righteousness ; and it is the throne of righteousness, 
and not an outward throne, that the Prince of Peace, the Son of 
David^ shall establish in the earth, and from which he shall rule 
the world with undisputed sway. '^Thy throne, O God, is for- 
ever and ever : a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy 
kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity ; there- 
fore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of glad- 
ness above thy fellows." ^' In my Father's house," said Jesus, 
'^are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 
I go to prepare a place for you." Not here, we believe, but in an 



THE NEW JERUSALEM. 253 

ampler sphere, in a larger mansion of the Father's house, when the 
transitory things of earth shall have been exchanged for the en- 
during enjoyments of the heavenly land, may the redeemed ex- 
pect to enjoy the personal presence of their beloved Lord. 

It will doubtless be suggested, that as, under the ** New," hu- 
man beings would^ as a rule, pair early in life, and a numerous 
household, under that system, would involve the imposition of 
no onerous burdens, the natural increase in numbers of our popu- 
lation^ would be very great ; that the augmentation of the popula- 
tion by immigration, would also be large, and that not many scores 
of years would elapse, before our country, and indeed the whole 
earth, if the *^New" were extended over the earth, would be 
filled with people : and we may be asked, if the '* New " would 
not then fail to secure to humanity the amount of happiness 
which we aver it was created to enjoy. 

We answer, that, if it should so fail, it would still be, in every 
particular, better than the "• Old." It is evident that under the 
present system of Divided Interests, the people generally find 
themselves becoming more and more perplexed and uncomforta- 
ble ; and in many cases in a condition of destitution or distress, 
notwithstanding the fact that our population numbers not much 
more than forty millions of souls; but under the *^New," i. e., 
the system of £/>2//^^/ Interests, we firmly believe the condition of 
things would be so greatly improved, that our country could then 
sustain, comfortably and happily, a population of more than five 
hundred millions. If the population of our country should, in 
course of time, become so numerous that even under the ^*New," 
its continued multiplication would seem to be undesirable, rules 
and regulations would doubtless be adopted which, without inter- 
fering with health, happiness, morality, or philanthropy, would 
meet the requirements of the situation. The whole world would 
eventually acknowledge the dominion of the'* New," and from 
generation to generation, the earth would be fully peopled with 
happy souls, until its physical condition should, if ever, require its 
thorough purification and renovation by fire ; in which event the 



254 DA Y DA WNING. 

inhabitants then upon it would doubtless be removed to another 
and a more extensive sphere to join the millions of their fellow- 
beings who had gone before. Under all circumstances, we 
may be assured that he, who has with Fatherly care made ample 
provision for the comfort and happiness of his children in all the 
past, has also made abundant provision for their enjoyment in 
the time to come. 

It is to be expected that the ^' New *' would not work perfectly 
at first. For generations there would probably be traces of the 
'^ Old " still lingering in it. Doubtless, conspicuous among these 
would be an exacted or formal accountability between man and 
his fellow man respecting the use or employment of time; but 
man would constantly grow wiser and better, until all formal 
accountability would become unnecessary, and duty and pleasure 
would then walk hand in hand. When this shall come to pass 
throughout the earth, the **time and times'* of the ^*01d'' will 
be fully accomplished, and the vision of the Revelator will be 
fulfilled. '' And I saw,*' says the Revelator, '' And I saw another 
mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud ; 
and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the , 
sun, and his feet, as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a lit- 
tle book open : and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his 
left foot on the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a 
lion roareth : and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered 
their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their 
voices, I was about to write : and I heard a voice from heaven 
saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders 
uttered and write them not. 'And the angel which I saw stand 
upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 
and sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created 
heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the 
things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are 
therein. That there should be time no longer." 

If, in the day of final reckoning, eternal banishment from the 
presence of God should be the lot of any of us, it will not be 



{ 



THE NE W JER USALEM. 255 

because we had placed but little value upon rites, ceremonies, 
formalities or dogmas ; but it will be because we had taken no 
pleasure in doing good ; because '' when the lowly were an hun- 
gered, we gave them no meat, when they were thirsty, we gave 
them no drink, when they were naked, we clothed them not, 
sick, and in prison, and we visited them not, and because the 
stranger we sheltered not." 

We firmly believe that the introduction of the ^* New** in our 
country, and throughout the earth, would be in perfect accord 
with the will of Divine Providence ; and that, established in the 
earth, it would, under God, remedy all the ills of humanity. 
An opportunity, of the most favorable kind, to introduce and 
establish it here, is now presented to the American people. Let 
us not fail to improve the opportunity promptly, lest in the midst 
of our exaltation as a people, deep humiliation or desolation 
come upon us. 

In conclusion, repeating, in substance, the words of our beloved 
Lord, again we say to our fellow-men: ^^Why do ye separate 
yourselves from each other ? one saying, ' I claim exclusive right 
to this property,* and another, ^I claim exclusive right to that,* 
both sometimes contending for the same property ? Do ye sepa- 
rate because ye fear there will not be an abundance for all? For 
how much longer time shall lilies grow and the fowls of the air 
be fed with providential care, before ye learn, O man, to trust 
the promises of God ? * * • 

God, the Bountiful Giver, and Lord of all, hath spread in this 
Eden world of ours, a royal table, which is ever laden with heav- 
enly blessings, new and old ; and all mankind are earnestly invited 
to come and enjoy them freely. From the olden time, hear 
Israel's prophet, Isaiah, boldly cry: '^ Ho, every one that thirst- 
eth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come 
ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, 
and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that 
which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisiieth not? 
Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good^ and 



256 JDA V DA WNING. 

let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come 
unto me ; hear, and your soul shall live ; and I will make an 
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." 

'*■ And," in the gentle accents of the new, ** the Spirit and the 
bride say. Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And 
let him that is athirst, come : and whosoever will, let him take 
the water of life freely." 

He who is both ''the root and the offspring of David, the 
bright and morning star," saith, *' Surely I come quickly. 
Amen." And, with the beloved Revelator, we again gladly 
respond, ''Even so, come Lord Jesus." 

" Watchman ! tell us of the night, 
What its signs of promise are. — 
Traveller ! o'er yon mountain's height. 
See that glory-beaming star ! — 
Watchman ! does its beauteous ray 
Aught of hope or joy foretell? — 
Traveller ! yes \ it brings the day — 
Promised day of Israel. 

" Watchman ! tell us of the night, 
Higher yet that star ascends. — 
Traveller ! blessedness and light. 
Peace and truth, its course portends ! — 
Watchman ! will its beams alone 
Gild the spot that gave them birth?—- 
Traveller ! ages are its own, 
See, it bursts o'' er all the earth, 

" Watchman ! tell us of the night. 
For the morning seems to dawn. — 
Traveller ! darkness takes its flight, 
.Doubt and terror are withdrawn. — 
Watchman! let thy wanderings cease ; 
Hie thee to thy quiet home. — 
Traveller I lol the Prince of Peace 
Lo ! THE Son of God is come 1 " 



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